


My New Family

by yutorin



Series: The Heisei Kumi [1]
Category: Hey! Say! JUMP, Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Also there's some mentioned dead people, I wrote this when I was fourteen, I'm better now I promise, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, M/M, Shintaro also makes a brief appearance, bear with me, but NO ONE DIES IN THIS ONE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-02-17 20:43:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13084998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yutorin/pseuds/yutorin
Summary: Johnny Kitagawa head of the Kitagawa Yakuza Group, dies. Okamoto Kenichi takes over and his son Keito joins the Heisei Kumi, a subunit of the group; to learn and make himself a proper yakuza. The Heisei Kumi aren't really ecstatic about this wimpy little brat joining their ranks. Poor Keito didn't know what he was getting himself into.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So, I originally wrote this when I was fourteen or fifteen, and I posted it to my livejournal account years ago. I've decided to back everything up here on Ao3, and so I'm going to be slowly moving everything over! I have taken this opportunity to clean this fic up a little bit. I fixed a few minor inconsistencies, and spruced up the grammar, took out the romaji, etc. Basically I tried to make it a little less cringe worthy while still keeping it true to the original. I don't want to rewrite it and erase where I started, I just wanted to fix the little, stupid things. I hope you like it! Be expecting the rest of the series over here soon!

It was a day of grief for the Kitagawa Yakuza Group. Their leader Johnny Kitagawa, had passed away. The funeral was amazing; all of his connections, as well as almost everyone from every kumi was there. The funeral was a long one, and it was extravagant. Rumor indicated that apparently, the next head was Okamoto Kenichi, the current Kanbu. Keito—Kenichi’s only son—was proud of his father, excited and nervous for the change that this new position would bring to their lives.  After the service, Okamoto Kenichi sought out one of the leaders of the kumis—Chinen—to ask a favor, Keito following on his father’s heels, becoming more and more nervous as they drew closer. Chinen was a young man so cute new initiates often thought he was a girl, with his big eyes and high voice. When Kenichi and Keito found him, he was gathering his kumi, preparing to go; but Chinen stopped when Kenichi approached, and bowed immediately.

  
    "Greetings, Kashira." Chinen said, raising his head.

  
    "Greetings, Chinen-san." Okamoto replied, his voice warm as he asked "How are things in the Heisei kumi?"

  
    "We get by." The tiny boy replied. Okamoto nodded, a small smile on his face.

  
    "Chinen-san, I have a favor to ask." Of course, a 'favor' from Kashira was in actuality an order. "This is my son, Keito." He turned, gesturing to Keito, and Keito felt his blood run cold when Chinen’s attention was drawn to him. "Introduce yourself." He bowed, and said in a meek voice

  
    "I’m Okamoto Keito."

  
    Chinen looked him over, Keito able to see the Kumi-cho sizing him up. He fiddled with the strap of his bag, immensely anxious, and there was blatant pity in Chinen’s face as he sized Keito up, and there was notable confusion in his eyes when he turned back to Kenichi. He obviously didn’t know why they were there. Keito almost flinched when his father dropped the request.

  
    "I want you to take him with you. He is to live with you, and become part of your kumi."   
    Chinen looked at Okamoto Kenichi, shocked.

  
    "No! He would not be able to live our type of life!" The boy standing behind his leader said, incredulous. Chinen silenced him with a shout.

  
    "Oi Bastard! Watch your mouth." Furious, the kid bowed apologetically.

  
    "Anything for the Kashira." Chinen said, bowing again as Kenichi left, leaving Keito behind. Chinen immediately gained an air about him that suggested he was going to rip someone's head off. "C'mon, you brat. Let's go." He snarled to Keito, who bowed, and followed behind the rest of the boys, an apology written on his face.

  
     They rode a bus to a large building that looked as though it had been abandoned years ago, where they all got off, one of the boys motioning to Keito that he should follow. From there the many people split up into two groups, a large group, and one smaller one that consisted of the Kumi-cho and eight others. Keito was about to fall into the larger group when a tall young man yelled for him to join them, saying that they didn't need the Kashira's son's blood on their hands. Keito followed behind the group until they reached a large, concrete building hidden in a maze of alleyways and shadows. One by one they entered, Keito last. It was an amazing place. The rooms were large and nicely decorated, with furniture that had been well taken care of, and there were even potted plants. This wasn't some dilapidated building they used for drug deals; it was their home. As soon as Keito was inside and the door was shut the nine other boys turned to look at him, analyzing him.

  
    "What do we do?" One of them asked. Chinen sighed.

  
    "Keep him." He turned to a tall, skinny boy. "You're in charge of him. He'll be sharing your room now." With that decided the boys dispersed, some of them taking off their ties and jackets as they went, presumably to change into more comfortable clothes. The tall boy Chinen had spoken to came up to him, and with a look indicated that Keito was supposed to follow him.

  
    "I'm Nakajima Yuto." Was all the boy said, leading Keito up a flight of stairs and down a hallway, to a sparsely decorated bedroom.

  
    "The top bunk is yours, no one's used it in four years or so...we should wash the sheets. It's Takaki's turn to do the laundry; I'll just get him to do them before you go to bed, okay?" Keito nodded and thanked Yuto. Yuto just gave him a small nod back, and asked "Did you bring any clothes?"

  
    "Yes, here..." Keito showed him the bag he'd been carrying over his shoulder.

  
    "I'm gonna change out of this tux, you should too, no need to get it dirty, that'll just cost money." Yuto said, unbuttoning his shirt, and slipping it off, rummaging through a dresser for a tank top. While he was doing this, Keito noticed a tattoo on his new roommate’s chest. It consisted of four small red blood droplets running down his chest that each had a kanji symbol in them. Put together they read Nakajima Raiya. Keito almost asked who Nakajima Raiya was, but Yuto's expression when he caught Keito staring stopped him.

  
    "Change." Was all Yuto said before exiting the room, shutting the door behind him. Keito stood there for a long time. What the hell had he gotten himself into? Eventually he did change, putting his own suit on a hanger in the closet and slipping on a tank top and jeans before   
exiting the room. He returned to the living room, where Yuto and another boy were sitting playing chess. Yuto’s opponent was short, with dyed brown hair, intense eyes, and full cheeks. Next to him was a long samurai katana, lying nonchalantly on the couch. 

 

The boy was only wearing a pair of jeans and a small silver necklace with a minuscule skull hanging from the chain around his neck, his chest and arms impressively muscled, a tattoo in the form of a delicate looking band made of a sakura branch around his right bicep. The boy was beautiful, like a doll, and Keito found himself staring.

  
    "YOU BASTARD!" Suddenly there was a knife at Keito's throat, another boy in Keito's face. The boy was about a head shorter than Keito himself, with dyed hair and bangs that were clipped up, an apron tied around his torso and a look of fury on his face. The chess game had   
stopped, Yuto and his opponent turning to watch. "What're ya looking at, eh? Ryosuke is mine! If you lay one finger on him, I'll cut your innards out!" The boy Keito had been staring at, Ryosuke, stood up, laying a hand on the angry boys shoulder, using the other to take the knife out of his grip.

  
    "Dai-chan it's okay, calm down. Besides, if he tried anything I could handle it. He's nothing much more than a katagi really."With a sigh and a protective look Dai-chan went to the kitchen, and the sound of a refrigerator being opened was heard.

  
    "Yama-chan should we continue, or do you forfeit, and owe me five thousand yen? Yuto said, gesturing to their chess game. A look of determination crossed the boy’s face.

  
    "Yuto, you have never once beaten me at chess. I'm not letting that change today." He glanced over at Keito. "Wanna let your shatei play? I betcha he's better than you are . " Ryosuke was obviously joking, a warm affectionate air about him as he teased his friend. Yuto however, glared at Keito.

  
    "He's not my shatei." At this Yamada became serious.

  
    "What is he then...a pet?" Yuto nodded.

  
    "Sure. That'll work." Chinen and another boy walked into the room. He looked very young,   
although taller than Yamada and Daiki, and was dressed very nicely.

  
    "Ah, Ryutaro! Where ya goin', all dressed up like that?"

  
    "Date." The boy said shortly.

  
    "Ah...Who?" Yuto asked curiously.

  
    "None of your business Yuto." Ryu said, before smirking slightly, and adding "Politicians niece."

  
    "Wow..." Both Yamada and Yuto said in unison, obviously impressed.

  
    "When're you executing?" Yamada asked.

  
    "Already did. Five million today. She's a one timer I think..."There was a yell from the kitchen.

  
    "You'd better be back by dinner! I'm cooking today; I'll make your favorites in celebration of your success!"

  
    "Lousy celebration!" Ryutaro said jokingly, and was walking out the door when he called "One thousand on Yama-chan!" and left. Keito tried to process the conversation he had just heard, not quite understanding. Yuto caught his confused look, and sighed.

  
    "Hey, brat." Chinen said, flopping down on a chair, catching Keito’s attention. "We're akasagi. We play with people’s emotions to get their money, and Ryu-chan's finishing up a job today. It's how we manage to live...we're swindlers. Some of the boys loan money on the side too." He sighed. "Got a problem with that?" His tone got suddenly fierce, as though Keito had objected in some way. Keito shook his head violently, denying any false accusations. "Good."

  
    They all fell silent, watching the chess game until sure enough, Yuto mumbled "Damn it." And slapped five thousand yen into Yamadas outstretched hand. Just as the game ended, Daiki called

  
    "Dinner's ready!"

  
     Boys from every corner of the house came running, all sitting around a large table in the kitchen. Keito watched, realizing immediately that there wasn't a seat for him. Chinen too noticed this.

  
    "You can't have Ryutaro’s seat." He told Keito bluntly, motioning to the seat immediately on his left.

  
    "Where should we put him then? We're gonna need to buy another chair..." Someone said.   
Chinen gave Keito a disdainful look.

  
    "You're not a part of my kumi. You're only here because the Kashira said you were supposed to be. You'll eat in the living room. Now, get your food and go." Keito did as he was told, getting his food and retreating to the living room, sitting on the floor with his bowl on the coffee table, next to the completed chess game. He was halfway through eating his meal when Ryutaro returned, everyone immediately welcoming him back.

  
    "So, how'd it go?" Keito heard Yuto ask as Ryutaro got himself some food.

  
    "Fine. Why's Okamoto in the living room?" Ryutaro asked.

  
    "The Kumi-cho put him in there."

  
    "Oh."

 

    After dinner, the boys all congregated in the living room, chatting nonchalantly. Daiki kept an eye on Keito, and pulled Yamada protectively into his lap. Yamada blushed at this display of affection. Suddenly, one of the boys got up. He was one of the older ones, with a pretty face and light brown hair.

  
    "I'm going out. Anyone wanna come? Inoo? Yabu?" A skinny boy stood up, agreeing to go with him, and within a few minutes they were changed into nice suits and out the door, money in their pockets. Keito found his way to Yuto, and before he got a chance to ask, Yuto said

  
    "Hey, can we just all introduce ourselves to the brat? He keeps asking who everyone is, and what they're doing. Just give him the run down. He'll be here for a while after all."

  
    Yuto glanced at Chinen, and he nodded. With that, the introductions began.

  
    "I'm Inoo Kei." A boy began. He had black hair that was permed in loose curls, and long eyelashes, his lips formed in a natural pout.

  
    "I'm Yaotome Hikaru." Another said, not looking up from his card game with Daiki and Yamada. This boy was tan, with dyed hair and a high voice. He had crooked teeth, and startling tattoos tracing in zigzag patterns up his arm to his neck. "The ones that just left were Yabu Kota and Takaki Yuya. They go clubbing often, don't be expecting to hang out with them too much." Hikaru added, his expression showing open distaste.

  
    "I'm Morimoto Ryutaro." Ryutaro said, shortly.

  
    "I'm Arioka Daiki." The boy that had nearly attacked Keito earlier that day said. The he added          "And I'll still kill you."

  
    "Hey shortie, cool it." Ryutaro said, smirking. Daiki jumped up, taking off his shirt as he did so, before aiming a punch at Ryutaro’s face. Keito gasped. There, on Daiki's back was a huge tattoo of a dragon, its form twisting from his torso to the back of his neck. If Keito wasn't afraid of Daiki before, he was now. Ryu dodged the punch, and before things could develop into a proper fight Chinen caught their eyes, and the two sat back down.

  
    "I'm Yamada Ryosuke...and could you pass me my katana?" Yamada said, gesturing to the sword propped up by the kitchen table. Keito hurried over, picking it up and returning it to its owner.

  
    "Thanks."

  
    "Now, we all evenly pay the bills, and for food. Starting next week that includes you. The rest of the money you earn will be yours to keep. I don't care how you earn the money. No drugs, and no prostitution, other than that there're no rules." Chinen said, and with a glance at Daiki he added "And no murder of housemates."

  
    "Any questions?" Yuto asked. Keito shook his head, and with that, they all went back to what they had been doing before. Hikaru won the card game he had been playing with Yamada and Daiki, and stood up, going to bed with a quick "Good night."

  
    One by one the boys went to bed, Daiki and Yamada retiring at the same time, Yuto soon to follow. When Keito looked around, and found Yuto nowhere near, he too went to bed. He found his roommate lying on his bed, lost in thought. Keito quietly changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed, and was about to fall asleep when Yuto asked 

  
    "Brat...why'd you join? You don't seem like the type." Keito rolled over, opening his eyes.

  
    "My father. I didn't really ever consider anything else." Yuto grew silent.

  
    "I joined for revenge." He said quietly. "I was young. My little brother Raiya was murdered by a couple of boys from the Wakaba Group. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I...I've gotten my revenge, and now I have a new family, here. But I'll never forgive them for what they've done."

  
    This explained the tattoo down Yuto's chest. His story was awful. Were the other boys stories as awful as his? If they were, their violent ways and lack of acceptance of him was much more understandable. Yuto’s story put a new perspective upon their life here. He wondered if all of their tattoos had deep meanings. At some point during his pondering he fell asleep. He was woken suddenly in the early hours of the morning by someone yelling

  
    "Brat! Wake up, we're being attacked!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here, at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/3548.html


	2. Chapter 2

He bolted up in bed as the door slammed. Outside the room he could hear yelling, sounds of running, and something breaking. He vaulted out of bed and down the hall, the voices growing louder. He went around a corner, and almost fell down the stairs in his haste.The living room had turned into a battlefield. Chinen was fighting two boys that looked twice as big as himself, and it was immediately obvious why he was he was the Kumi-cho. He was amazing, his fighting technique graceful and fast, like a deadly dance. Everyone was fighting, Yuto and Takaki both circling a girl, taking turns leaping at her but she was quick, agile. There was a yell, Keito’s attention drawn, expecting to see Daiki as the name rang out.

"RYOSUKE!" It wasn't Daiki who had yelled. It was the boy Hikaru had been fighting. Hikaru fell to the ground, bloody cuts decorating his chest and shoulders. The boy that had yelled dodged through the mess of people, heading for Yamada. Yamada himself was busy having a sword fight with another kid, and hadn't noticed the boy that had yelled approaching. By the time he did notice it was too late, the kid wrapping an arm around his waist, a knife at Yamada's throat. The boy whispered something in Yamada's ear, and Yamada's opponent took the opportunity to run his sword into Yamada's side, a crazed victory in his eyes.

"NO!" This yell was from Daiki, jumping at the boy whose sword was impaling Yamada's body. The boy withdrew the sword quickly, turning and slashing Daiki's shoulder as he did so. Daiki barely stopped, swinging his fist into the boy's head, knocking him down. Yuto had left the girl, and was now sizing up the boy holding Yamada. Yamada himself was bleeding profusely, the blood staining his pajama pants and dripping onto the carpet. Keito drew his eyes away from the scene, instead worrying about Hikaru. He still hadn't gotten up from the carpet, and everyone else was busy. Keito ran for it, weaving his way through the fighting to Hikaru’s side. He picked Hikaru up, pulling him onto his back, and carried him away, slipping past Yuto, who yelled

"Brat! Get out of here!" As he spoke Yuto kicked the boy still holding Yamada. Instead of holding him hostage, it was now more like he was keeping him standing. The frenzied look in Yuto's eyes indicated that he too recognized that Yamada had to be rescued fast, or his wound would become much more serious. Keito dragged Hikaru up the stairs, laying him down in the hallway, and immediately running back down. The boy had dropped Yamada, turning his full attention to fighting Yuto, and Keito took the chance to sweep in and grab Yamada bridal style, nearly running up the stairs with the short boy. Suddenly, there was an arm around his ankle, and he kicked at it, his heart leaping into his throat. He didn’t look back until he was up the stairs. When he came back down the attackers were beginning to disperse, only a few left. Daiki's opponent had gotten away, and only the boy Yuto was fighting, as well as the girl and one other were left. Soon, all were gone, and the house was eerily quiet. Only heavy breathing was heard.

"Keito...how's Hika?" Yabu asked, out of breath, hobbling over to Keito. Chinen immediately started giving orders.  
"Brat, you and Ryutaro will bring Hikaru and Yamada back downstairs. We'll put them on the kitchen table and try to patch them up." He turned to the rest of the group. "Injury status. Now."

Ryutaro barely had a scratch on him, although his eye was definitely going to be blue by the time the sun came up. Keito observed as they carried the two boys back down the stairs, laying them on the table. The other boys too were basically fine. Everyone was bruised, the only one that had a truly worrying injury aside from the two on the table was Daiki; the slash he had received from the sword was deep, and his arm hung limply at his side, blood dripping down his fingers. Inoo appeared with a first aid kit and a sewing kit, setting them down next to the boys on the table. Chinen looked them over, hesitant.

"They shouldn't be moved anymore." He looked over at Yabu, who was already disinfecting Hikaru's wounds with a damp cloth. "Can we take care of this one ourselves?" Yabu nodded, not looking up from his work.

"Yeah...let’s get started." A look of determination took over his face. His next words were a stream of orders.

"Inoo disinfect Daiki's wounds. No Daiki, don't you move. Yuto get Yamada new pants, he's bled all over these, they'll just be in the way. Takaki thread a needle for Inoo, Daiki's gonna need stitches. Ryutaro start gathering some gauze, we're gonna have to pack Yamada's wound. You, Okamoto, start cleaning it up. We need to see how bad the damage really is."

  
Yabu’s orders were followed immediately, and efficiently. Chinen stepped forward, palms open, silently asking for a task.

"Thread another needle. For Hika. Not all of these need it, just these two." Yabu gestured to the cuts. Chinen nodded, and immediately got to work.

The boys worked until sun up, Inoo sewing Daiki's shoulder wound shut, Yabu and Takaki doing Hikaru's. Hikaru himself was conscious, and would occasionally give an order, everyone listening to him. Yuto packed Yamada's wound, he himself wincing almost as much as the half conscious boy on the table. With each wince Daiki would give Yamada's hand—which he had been holding tightly—a squeeze. He himself didn't wince at all as the needle dipped itself in and out of his skin, pulling the chunks of flesh together. Keito and Ryutaro were put in charge of wrapping all of the injuries in gauze once everything else was completed. Keito was amazed at how well everyone was handling the situation. He was barely holding himself together, questions racing through his mind. Who were those people? Who was that boy, the one so intent on bringing Yamada back with him? Why did they attack? Questions like these continued to flood his mind. He was distracted from them however, by a hand on his own. It was Hikaru, whose torso he had been wrapping.

"You've never seen a fight before, have you?" The older boy asked. Keito shook his head. "I bet we've scared you off, and you'll be gone by the morning." Hikaru said, giving Keito what was either an attempt at a smile or a grimace, before closing his eyes, and adding "Make the bandage a little tighter."

Soon both Yamada and Hikaru were helped up to bed. Both had insisted they could walk themselves, but ended up being carried anyway. Daiki refused to get some rest, insisting that he stay downstairs with the other boys, until Chinen ordered him to go up and watch Yamada, to make sure his condition didn't get worse. Once Daiki had gone, Chinen called an emergency meeting in the living room. Everyone piled around the coffee table, all serious.

"I think we all know that they were from the Wakaba Group." Chinen started. Keito nearly gasped. The Wakaba Group; the ones that had killed Yuto’s brother.

"Who all came tonight?" Takaki asked, running a hand through his hair. "I fought with Shidai the whole time. I didn't get to see much else." The others gave a run down, Keito trying to keep up with the new names. Yabu had fought Ryuya and Ryutaro had fought his younger brother, Katsumi. Chinen had been fighting Miura Haruma and Sato Takeru; Inoo said he'd seen Yanagishita Tomo and Seto Koji.

"Who was the boy that yelled for Yamada-san?" Keito asked, and everyone gave him surprised stares.

"Kamiki Ryunosuke, of course." Ryutaro said, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"There was one more." Yuto said, and everyone turned to him, listening.

"Misaki was there. Yama-chan was dueling with him..."

"No way." Inoo said immediately, everyone’s faces showing shock.

"But wasn't Misaki with us?"

"Yes, for years."

"What're we gonna do?" Yabu asked, turning to Chinen. "Please Kumi-cho, let me get revenge." Chinen just gave Yabu a look.

"Our companions need time to heal. We'll retaliate, just give it time. They probably thought we were weak, because of the Boss' death. We just proved them wrong. Hikaru, Daiki, and Yamada won't go unavenged."

Soon after that statement was made everyone went to bed, all ready to sleep for a few hours before starting their day. Keito himself couldn't sleep. He kept going over the attack and the injuries in his mind. A slight paranoia itched in the back of his brain, and he gave up on sleep, instead quietly getting up and crossing the hall to the room opposite his own, where Daiki and Yamada were staying. He slowly opened the door, peeking his head inside. Yamada was lying out on the two person bed, fast asleep in the position they'd left him in. Daiki too was asleep, sitting up in the bed, one hand entwined with Yamada's own, a slight frown on his face.

  
He slipped out, and went next door to Hikaru's room. Once it was confirmed that he too was fine, Keito went downstairs, and sat around for a while, wondering what to do with himself, when he heard someone beginning to come down the stairs. He got up, immediately going to see who it was. To his surprise, Hikaru was hobbling down the stairs, his face screwed up in determination and pain.

"You're awake!" Keito exclaimed, surprised. Hikaru just nodded, continuing his way down the steps.

"No! Wait...what do you need?" Keito asked frantically, startled as blood began seeping through the bandages on Hikaru's otherwise bare chest.

"I can...food. I need food." Keito nodded.

"I'll make you something, so...let's get you back in bed. "

Silently Hikaru gave in, and Keito helped him back to his room, Hikaru obviously not liking the assistance, giving Keito a look that made Keito feel like he was being blamed for something awful. Keito apologized when Hikaru was back in his room, and promised to be back with food quickly, running down the stairs and into the kitchen as soon as he left, a sense of urgency in his movements. Hikaru was intimidating, he wanted food, and Keito'd told him he would make him some. He made a large pot of steamed rice, and scrambled some eggs, and was in the process of finding bowls when a voice behind him made him freeze.

"What the hell are you doing, you bastard?!" Chinen had crept into the kitchen without Keito noticing, and was now standing less than a foot away. Keito’s heart caught in his throat. He was surely dead now.

"I-I...Hikaru was hungry. So I made him food...and," Chinen stood there, his face blank.

"And...so I made some for Daiki-san and Yamada-san too."

Chinen walked over to the pan of eggs, grabbing some chopsticks off of the counter, and took a large bite.

"The bowls are in the cabinet on your left."

Keito let out a relieved breath, and retrieved the bowls, Chinen watching as he filled the bowls with rice and put the eggs on top, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. He was just about to go upstairs, when Chinen said

"Hey, Bastard. You're in charge of taking care of them, got it?" Keito looked at the short boy in shock.

"Y-yes. Thank you for the honor, Kumi-cho." He said, bowing, hands on his knees as he had seen the others do. Chinen just rolled his eyes a bit and huffed, walking off. Keito took the rice and eggs up to Hikaru, who to Keito’s surprise said a quick "Thanks." Before digging in. He had seconds, and thirds, before leaning back in his bed, full.

Somewhere in that time everyone else had woken up and eaten, all but Yamada. Daiki ate shortly after Hikaru, and had insisted that Keito bring Yamada's portions up so that when Yamada woke the food would already be there. Keito was just bringing the third bowl of rice and eggs when Yamada's eyes opened, and he moved to sit up, hissing in pain as he did so. Daiki stopped him, and turned to Keito.

"What're you doing?! Make yourself useful and help me get Yama-chan up!" Keito hastily set the bowl he'd been holding down, and went over, putting his arms under Yamadas own, lifting upwards, and slowly scooting the boy until he was sitting. Daiki had kept his good hand on the stab wound, applying pressure. They packed pillows behind the boy, and soon Yamada was eying the bowls of rice hungrily.

"Dai-chan, have you eaten?"

"This is for you. Here," Daiki turned to Keito "Brat, help Ryosuke. I can't." he said, indicating his bandaged shoulder. Keito held the bowl in one hand, chopsticks in the other, and slowly  
Yamada ate his breakfast, until all three bowls were empty.

"Thanks, brat." Yamada said, shutting his eyes, and laying back against the pillows. Somehow the nickname didn't sound harsh or mean coming out of his mouth.

Keito took the bowls downstairs and washed them, returning them to their shelf before returning himself to Yamada and Daiki's bedroom. Daiki had an arm around Yamada, his body lying next to the other boy in the bed, and Yamada had obviously fallen back asleep, his head resting on Daiki's shoulder. Keito sat in a chair next to the bed, and noticed a small necklace around Daiki's neck, decorated with a tiny skull identical to the one Yamada wore. After a few moments of silence, Daiki spoke, his voice quiet, as to not wake up Yamada.

"You don't know anything about Kamiki Ryunosuke and Yama-chan, do you?" Keito shook his head. Daiki nodded, thinking to himself.

"It's not a nice story, brat. Not one of your little fairytales with 'happily ever after' at the end."  
Daiki paused, gaining an air about him that Keito could tell meant he was about to hear the story of Yamada and Kamiki.

"Yama-chan and Kamiki were childhood friends. They went to school together, had sleepovers at each other’s houses, shared toys, and played all the time. But then one day Kamiki disappeared. Yamada assumed his family had simply moved away, and Yamada didn't see him for a couple of months. They ran into each other at a mall one day, and Yama-chan found that his friend had changed drastically in the months they were apart. For old times’ sake, they hung out, and Kamiki told Yamada about his new life, and new friends, and implored him to join, to come with him and have a new life with him in his new family; with his yakuza group.

  
“Yamada refused, scared, but Kamiki started visiting him at home, texting and emailing him, and Yamada eventually in his frustration asked why it was so important that he join." Yamada shifted in his sleep, and Daiki paused in his story, watching him. Once they were sure he wasn't waking up, Daiki continued.

"Kamiki told Yamada that he loved him, more than anything in the world, and that he needed him. Scared, Yamada rejected his confession, and ran. Kamiki chased him, and caught him, threatening Yama-chan with a knife if he didn't come with him." Daiki's eyes had a look of fury on his face similar to the one he had when he had beaten the boy to smithereens in the fight the night before.

"Yama-chan was kept in a room in the Wakaba's main house, not allowed to leave the room for anything, and soon he lost track of time...until we came. We attacked, and Yamada took the chance to escape. There was a bit of a mix up; we thought he was a member of their kumi, and took him hostage. We didn't realize our mistake until we arrived home. He was underweight, and scared looking. Kumi-cho decided to keep him, after hearing his story, knowing that Kamiki would want him back. We used Yama-chan as bait, and for almost half a year we used him as our hostage.

“During that time he got stronger, and less scared of us, and as long as he didn't try to leave he could do what he pleased. He was announced presumed dead one day by the media. He went missing the day after, and everyone assumed we would never see him again. But we were mistaken. He walked in the next day, asking to officially join our kumi. Within a few weeks he had made himself an equal member here, he found his sword in the weapons closet under the stairs, and claimed it. When Ryutaro tried fighting him for it, he won, and taught himself how to properly use a katana. Now Kamiki still obsesses over him, but he is strong, and fights against him. His family moved away after they thought he’d died, and he has no way to contact them...he's given up."

Suddenly, a quiet voice said

"No, I haven't. I've accepted my fate, and found a new family...you." Yamada told them, opening his eyes as he did so. "Now, I want to beat you at chess." Yamada said, sitting up and giving Keito a smirk.

"I'll get the board." Daiki said, getting out of the bed, and giving Yamada a quick kiss before he left. When he returned, he brought not only the chess board; Yuto, Ryutaro, Takaki, Yabu, and Inoo trailed in behind him, making bets and joking around as they did so.

"We want to see Yamada play you; he's never lost." Yuto explained to Keito, flopping down on the bed by Yamada's feet. They set up the board, Daiki acting as Yamada's arms and moving his pieces for him.

Everyone watched in anticipation, all paying great attention. Keito focused. He was a decent chess player; he could beat his father at least. Yamada was obviously enjoying himself, a small grin on his face that never left. The game lasted for almost a full hour, both boys strategizing, determined to win. Finally, Yamada made a final move, and Keito flicked over his king in defeat. Multiple exchanges of money were made, and Yamada sat there, looking to all the world as though he had just been told he was a gold medal winner in the Olympics.

"You're pretty good. We'll have to play again sometime." Yamada said, and Keito nodded. The game was fun; he liked hanging out with Yamada, the boy didn't seem to be very judging of him, unlike the others. He made lunch quickly, Yuto helping him prepare the food, rambling about what foods Yamada does and doesn't like, and how Keito could get in good with some of the other boys.

"What about Hikaru-san?" Keito found himself asking hopefully. Yuto shook his head.

"Good luck with that one, Hikaru's not going to change his mind about you unless he wants to...and he is not a fan of yours, brat. And neither am I...technically." Yuto added on the last bit thoughtfully, and left, taking Yamada and Daiki their lunch, Keito opening the door to Hikaru's room, the older boy’s lunch in hand, a knot in his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted at my Livejournal here: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/3800.html


	3. Chapter 3

"Look who's decided to drop in. I assumed a coward like you would have run away by now." Hikaru said, as Keito placed his meal down next to his bed.

"I-I have your lunch."

"What's with that wimpy little voice of yours huh?" Hikaru said, his voice full of disdain. "You sound like a little katagi, all scared by an appearance. Are you scared? Do you judge us because of the way we look? The way we talk? Do you think of us as horrible, wild animals like the rest of the world does? Do you?!" Keito was shaking his head violently, denying the accusations coming from Hikaru's mouth. "Why don't you just leave? Run back to your father; tell him it was too hard, that you can't do it. You're never gonna be like us anyway, so why waste your time now?"

"I-I'm sorry if I did anything to offend you." Keito said, knowing that his voice betrayed how upset he was. Hikaru just snarled.

"Your face offends me."

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'll go." He said, and left, wandering around the house until he found a bathroom, going in and locking the door, crying to himself for a few minutes. What had he done to deserve such hatred? Why did Hikaru think of him in that way? He told himself the boy was probably in a bad mood from being bedridden, and didn't mean the things he had said, but only a small part of him believed it.

Quickly, he wiped away his tears and went downstairs, puttering around until dinner time, during which he ate in solitude in the living room. He was pulled aside by Yabu, whom was obviously going out again, and the medical kit was shoved into his hands.

"Check Hikaru and Daiki's stitches, we'll need to be extra sure they don't get infected, so use some of the wipes in there." He gestured to the kit. "Rewrap everyone, Yama-chan's gonna need his wound packed again, make sure to be very careful. Everything you need is in there.  
My phone number is on a paper in there too just in case, although Hika is better than I am. Good luck." Yabu said, before leaving, Keito standing there confused for a second, before processing everything that was said to him, nervousness taking over.

He took the kit to Yamada and Daiki's room, avoiding Hikaru at all costs. Yuto was in there when he arrived, and they had all been talking about something, but stopped when he entered.  
"I'm going to do a follow up on your injuries." Keito said, and Daiki decided to go first, offering his shoulder for Keito to take a look at.  
"I'll do Yama-chan." Yuto said, giving Yamada a small smile, which his injured friend returned.

"Be careful." Daiki cautioned, as Keito unwound his bandage, and removed the gauze padding underneath, bringing the stitched up slash into view. Daiki tried to asses it, craning his neck to get a look. "How's it look?" Daiki asked, and Keito was happy his opinion was wanted....until Daiki turned to Yuto for the answer.

"It's about a five. No infection." Yuto said confidently, sweeping his eyes over the gash, and Daiki nodded.

"Good." He turned back to Keito, letting him run the wet cloth over the cut, put some ointment on it, and began to rewrap it, but was startled by a whimper. It was Yamada, his eyes squeezed shut, his fists clenching the bed sheets in a death grip, and a second whimper of pain escaped his lips as Yuto pulled the packed gauze out of his side.

"Hang in there Yama-chan; we're halfway done now..." Yuto's voice was calm, but a barely noticeable tear ran down his nose, as he watched his friend in pain. Keito looked over the wound, amazed. The hole looked like it penetrated halfway through his body—but Yuto examined it, gently starting to repack it with gauze.

"Um, what does the packing do?" Keito asked, wishing it wasn't necessary.

"It helps to keep me from bleeding out." Yamada said, wincing as he did so.

"And it draws out any infection he might have..." Daiki added as Keito finished his own bandage. Yuto quickly rewrapped Yamada's side, and discreetly wiped the tear from his face.

"Thanks Yuto."

"Anytime, Yama-chan." Yuto said sincerely; but something flashed in his eyes as he turned away. "Have you done Hikaru-kun yet?" He asked as he and Keito left the room.  
"No."

"You afraid, you bastard?"

"No." Keito lied. Yuto saw right through it.

"I'll go with you, brat." He said, leading the way into Hikaru’s room.

"Hello, Hikaru-kun!" Yuto called cheerily, and Keito filed in behind him.

"Hey Yuto." Hikaru said, giving Keito a small glare, but otherwise ignoring him.

"I'm going to check on your cuts and change your bandage, okay?" Keito said, forcing himself to sound confident. Hikaru just sighed, but with Yuto's help he stood up, and Keito unwrapped his chest, amazed by how bloody the wrappings were as they got closer to his body, until he eventually peeled off the last stiff, red dyed bandage, to reveal the boys chest.

It was encrusted with dried blood, yet many of the cuts had scabbed over. They were extensive, crisscrossing his chest in painful looking patterns. Yet Hikaru acted as though he barely felt them. Keito wiped away the dried blood, and inspected the stitched up cuts, before  
rewrapping the boy’s chest, and helping him down.

"You did them too tight, you little fr-" Hikaru began, but Yuto cut him off.

"Ya know, it's probably not a good idea to bully the person taking care of you." He said, and Hikaru just glared, his harsh gaze doing what his words hadn't had the chance to; Keito was afraid.

His days continued in this manner, Yuto taking over for Yamada's medical care, and due to this he became a little bit friendlier with Keito. Keito noticed a care in Yuto that wasn't stereotypical of a yakuza, a care that wasn't pronounced often, one that usually came out around Yamada. Hikaru continued to snap at him, but he still cooperated whenever Keito changed his bandages or brought him food. Daiki seemed to have decided that Keito wasn't going to try and steal Yamada away, and therefore seemed to like Keito much better, allowing him to hang around whenever he wanted. One day, Keito unwrapped his shoulder, and Yuto looked it over, as usual, but instead of the usual nod, before going back to Yamada, Yuto smiled.

"Time to take the stitches out. Brat, you do it." he grabbed a pair of scissors out of the medical kit.

"Here, I'll show you..." Yuto snipped, pulling the thread out. Keito winced, but Daiki just watched.

"Your turn, don't screw me up." Daiki said, handing Keito the scissors. One by one they came out, Keito being as gentle as he could. Once they were all removed, Daiki rolled his shoulder a bit, testing it.

"How is it, Dai-chan?" Yamada asked, as Yuto wrapped his wounds back up.

"Good, I'll try to go to work tomorrow, I think." Keito smiled, relieved that Daiki was officially better.

"Do you have any ongoing swindles? Paying time is coming up you know..." Yuto said, looking worried, not for Daiki, but for Yamada.

"I'm all set. Karina thinks I was on a surprise trip to Hokkaido, to visit my great aunt, who is in the hospital. The one my family is paying the bills for." Daiki said, a grim smile on his face.

"What about you Yama-chan?" Yamada smiled a small smile.

"I'm good too; I could be out for a whole year, and still keep up the payments." Keito was impressed. Daiki gave Yamada a gentle smile.

"Ryosuke is the best actor I've ever met...and it helps that he's got such a nice body." The last bit was said without any embarrassment. Yuto's face adopted an awful expression; one that only lasted for a second before melting away.

Sure enough, Daiki wasn't there the next day, leaving after breakfast. He was dressed in a button up shirt and sweater vest, glasses framing his eyes, and his hair unstyled, a small bag over his shoulder. Keito nearly burst out laughing. He looked the opposite of his usual self.  
No one would suspect that beneath that baby blue sweater a large dragon covered his skin.

"I'm off." He said, a small smile on his face. Inoo picked him up, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, placing him back on his feet before he walked out the door. Keito was baffled by this display of affection. Yuto immediately leaned toward Keito, and said quietly

"Inoo-kun loves Dai-chan. They're best friends, and they've been doing that since forever; they do it for good luck."

"Inoo's the only one that Daiki will allow to treat him with affection like that. Poor Inoo, he doesn't know what to do...he knows Dai-chan loves Yamada, so he doesn't make any moves."  
Yuto explained, as they went up to check on Yamada.

"He's liked him for a long time." Yuto said as they entered Yamadas bedroom. Yamada was listening.  
"Inoo?" He asked, as Yuto flopped down next to him on the bed. Yuto nodded.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't like Dai-chan. Inoo-kun would be much better for him than I am. But I'm selfish, and Daiki is happy." Yamada said, sighing and pulling himself up to a sitting position "Hey, how much longer will I be out, Doctor Yuto?" Yuto smiled a bit when Yamada called him doctor, and replied with a laugh in his voice

"Probably another two weeks, Patient Yamada. But only if you're good and eat your veggies."

Aside from Daiki going out nothing out of the ordinary happened that day; Hikaru was still difficult, Yuto hung out with Yamada all day and was beaten at chess at least twice, Keito ate dinner in the living room alone, and Yabu and Takaki went out drinking afterwards. A couple of days later Hikaru was also declared well, and he seemed relieved to be leaving his confinement, and going back to doing whatever it was he did during the day; Keito was too scared to ask him. The first night of Hikaru's freedom was paying time for the month, and Keito approached Yuto nervously

"How much do I owe?"

"What do you mean?" Yuto asked, looking up from his meal, a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"My share. How much do I owe?"

"You paid already." Yuto turned to Hikaru, who was also sitting at the table, going through their bills and organizing papers. Hikaru was obviously the second in command; and was in charge of all of their expenses and bookkeeping.

"The brat paid already, didn't he Hikaru-kun?"

Hikaru looked up; broken out of his train of thought, and after a second he nodded and gave a noncommittal grunt before returning to the pages in front of him.

"B-but I'm sure-"

"You paid, okay?! Now leave, you're annoying!" Yuto said hotly, getting frustrated and turning back to his food. Keito contemplated this for a second, confused. Then, suddenly, he understood; Yuto had paid for him.

"Thank you, Aniki!" He said, bowing low. Yuto finished eating, and got up, whacking Keito gently on the head as he passed to put his bowl in the sink.

"Who's Aniki? Idiot."

That night, as Keito crawled into bed, Yuto mumbled

  
"Tomorrow, Yama-chan and I'll teach you how to be a proper akasagi, so you can start earning yourself some money. We're not nice around here; we don't do things for wimpy bastards like you out of the goodness of our hearts."

Keito nodded meekly, saying a small ‘yes’ in return, before flopping in his bed, where he allowed himself a smile, before falling asleep.

Sure enough, the next day he went downstairs, and was shocked to see Yamada down there lying on the couch, Daiki cuddling with him and feeding him breakfast. The other occupants of the house all basically ignored Keito, as per usual. As soon as Daiki left however, Keito found himself the center of attention. The boys that were left at their home all had their eyes on him, eager looks on their faces. He felt as though he was about to be eaten, or was expected to do some amazing feat.

"Someone help me move this table, and then we can start with the brat's training." Yuto said, and Takaki rushed forward, the two boys moving the coffee table to one side of the room, creating a large open space.

"Now, Yama-chan and I are gonna teach you how to be an akasagi; got it?" Yuto said, motioning for Keito to come and stand with him in the empty space they'd just made. The other boys piled themselves into chairs and couches around the room, all with those same, curious looks on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/4026.html


	4. Chapter 4

    "Um Aniki, why're they all here?"

  
    "We're bored, and this looks entertaining." Ryutaro said bluntly, from where he was sitting cross-legged at the foot of Chinen's chair.

  
    "Well, they can be of help too. What kind of style do you think would be best for the brat?" Yamada asked the room in general from his spot on the couch.

  
    "Well, why not show him his options." Inoo said, giggling a bit as he did so.

  
    "Good idea. Takaki, if you would." Chinen decided, gesturing to Keito, and Keito found that his training seemed to have become more of a group affair. Takaki nodded and stood up, walking toward Keito, adopting an immediate air about him that suggested an intimate interest in the younger boy. He reached Keito and bowed, taking his hand and kissing it gently. The older boy straightened up, and gave Keito a smoldering look.

  
    "Hello."

  
    Keito knew he was red, and he didn't trust himself to speak, knowing he would flounder with the words.

  
    "Why don't you come sit with me, I know I want to learn more about that beautiful face." Takaki said, slipping an arm around Keito’s waist, and giving Keito a smile and a wink. Then, suddenly, Yuto burst out laughing, and Takaki's little spell was broken.

  
    "What the hell?!"

  
Takaki turned to Yuto, and lunged, almost punching him in the face. Yuto dodged it easily, and said

  
    "Don't pick fights with your seniors."

  
    "Hold on, hold on!" Yamada said, grabbing Takaki's arm, forcing the older boy to look at him.   
    "Yuto's not laughing at you, you were marvelous. It was the way Keito totally fell for it that was amusing." Yamada’s words were backed up by nods from the other boys, Inoo bursting out in giggles. Keito was extremely embarrassed.

  
    "How about the rest of us use me as the girl, so the brat can watch?" Yamada offered, and they all nodded, Takaki flopping down in his seat, and nodding to Inoo.

  
    "Your turn." Inoo smiled, and ran up to his room, returning with a daisy. He swooped down next to Yamada in one fluid motion, offering the flower delicately.

  
    "For you." Yamada smiled, and took the flower, batting his eyelashes a bit, and tucking a strand of hair behind his ear in a shy, feminine way, playing along. "You would make my day if you would allow me to take a delicate flower like you out to lunch." Inoo continued. When Yamada gave him a tentative glance, obviously on the verge of disagreeing, he added

  
    "I want to take you to my favorite cafe. It’s a cute little shop with a piano in the corner. I’d love to play for you.” Yamada gave a shy nod, and an eager smile, and Inoo's show ended.

  
    "Who's next?"

  
    One by one they all went, Ryutaro 'accidentally' running into Yamada, and shyly stuttering and blushing, and offering to buy him lunch to apologize. Yuto asked if Yamada would please go out on a date with him, saying that although he doesn't have much money, and was busy   
working to provide for his four brothers and sisters, he thought Yamada was beautiful, and would be faithful, and treat him well. On Yamada's turn Yamada helped Yuto when the boy tripped and fell, gathering the things he had dropped and helping him up, insisting that he could carry Yuto's things to his destination, a perfect act of chivalry.

 

    Even Chinen went, playing the character of the adorable, naive boy that confronts the girl, asking her why she makes him feel this way, it's not fair! Pouting in such a cute way Takaki couldn't help but run over and hug him. Keito was surprised by their willingness to put on their little performances, and how well the boys pulled them off. All were amazing actors. During Chinen's performance Hikaru came home, standing in the doorway until it was finished, clapping bemusedly when it was done.

  
    "Hikaru, we're showing the brat how we reel our targets in. You should show him too." Inoo said as Chinen sat back in his seat, a scheming smile on his face. Hikaru gave Inoo a stare, obviously about to object, but then Inoo said “Please? Please, please?” And Hikaru turned to Keito, walking toward him. Scared, Keito found himself backing away, but he tripped over the couch and fell to the floor. In one fluid motion Hikaru's body was on top of his, pinning him to the floor.

  
    "I need you to be with me." Hikaru whispered, their faces an inch apart and then he closed that gap, giving Keito a long, strong kiss. Then, just as suddenly as he was there he was gone, standing up and after a quick "There." for Inoo he left the room, climbing the stairs. Keito was still on the ground, the ghost of Hikaru's lips still lingering on his own, his head spinning, and he felt his body shaking. He pulled himself up to a sitting position, and felt himself beginning to cry. The room was in a surprised silence. Yamada looked over the edge of the couch, and at the sight of Keito's tears, he sent a harsh glare Inoo's way.

  
    "What the hell, you bastard?!" Yamada said, sounding genuinely upset on Keito's behalf. Keito ran, hiding himself in his closet, where he allowed himself to cry openly. He didn't understand. He didn't understand why he was crying. He didn't understand why Hikaru had kissed him. He didn't understand what he was supposed to do now. He must have been there for a while, because after a good amount of time voices were heard from the other side of the door.

  
    "What would you have done?" Yuto was saying.

  
    "It's not like Hikaru's a bad kisser, or is really ugly or something." Takaki's voice replied.

  
    "I know, but..." Yuto sighed. "...I think that was his first one." There was a silence.

  
    "Oh." They fell into the silence once more.

  
    "What was Inoo thinking?" Takaki said, and there was the sound of someone sitting down on Yuto's bed.

  
    "He didn't know Hikaru-kun would do that. Hikaru doesn't talk about his swindles, and I've never seen him when he's out doing a job." Yuto countered.

  
    "Why would Hikaru...?"

  
    "I don't know. He didn't like Keito, but I thought he was warming up to the kid for a bit. He told me Keito was a good doctor. But _that_ is not how Hikaru shows his affection. Do you think he hates the brat?"

  
    "Hates him?" Yuto considered it.

  
    "Maybe. It's been hard to tell what he's thinking, since—" Yuto cut himself short. "—then."

  
    "That’s been a couple of years now, you know..."

  
    "Do you think the brat can do it?" Takaki asked, changing the topic.

  
    "I dunno. He's not very...confident in himself."

  
    "Well, he's got the looks for it; I'm surprised no one’s hit on him yet...what about you Yuto?"

  
    "Huh?"

  
    "You attracted to the kid?" Takaki asked, his voice implying something.

  
    "No. He's not my type. I prefer guys with tattoos, and passion, and warm, sharp eyes..." Yuto’s voice got steadily quieter as the description of his ideal boyfriend got longer, until it faded out completely.

  
    "Uh huh." Takaki sounded skeptical. "Daiki is gonna kill you."

  
    "Fuck you." Yuto snarled, suddenly hostile.

  
    Keito had been practically holding his breath the whole time the two were talking, but this had caught him by surprise, and he gasped. He mentally scolded himself, sure they would discover him, and beat him up for listening to their conversation.

  
    "I'm gonna go find Inoo, we're gonna practice fighting outside. Wanna come? We could grab Ryu probably." Takaki said, and Yuto must have nodded, because there were sounds of two pairs of feet leaving the room, the door shutting behind them, and Keito found himself alone   
once more. He stayed in the closet for another half an hour or so, until he thought it safe to leave, creeping out of the room, and down the hall, until the sound of people arguing in another room stopped him. After a second he realized it was Yabu, the boy confronting someone, angry. Hikaru's voice responded to Yabu's yelling quietly, and Keito slunk away, not wanting to be caught and accused of eavesdropping.

  
    He avoided everyone to the best of his ability for the next few days; the only one he couldn't hide from was Yuto, who was still insisting on teaching him how to swindle. He would drag Keito to their room almost every day for a lesson, threatening him with half-hearted little threats as he went. Yamada would often join them, he and Yuto doing demos of scenarios and giving tips. Yamada's condition continued to improve, until one day during their swindling lesson he said he was going back to work the next day. Yuto immediately objected to the idea, insisting that Yamada was not well enough yet.

 

    "Yuto, it's all better, see?" Yamada insisted, lifting his shirt, revealing his stab wound. It was no longer open and bloody, but closed over, a brilliant purple scar shining in its place. Yuto frowned.

  
    "Fine, do what you want."

  
    Sure enough the next day Yamada had left by the time Keito woke up, and Yuto left soon after, obviously in a bad mood. Keito had the day to himself. Not wanting to sit around the house in the way Keito slipped out, wandering around for a while, playing a game of billiards against himself, and at one point entering a pawn shop to look at an acoustic guitar that had caught his attention. He had had one when he was living with his father, and this one looked like it was in pretty good condition, aside from the need for a new set of strings. After checking the price and strumming it experimentally, he left, nearly running into Yamada, walking along the sidewalk next to him, a girl at his side. She said something, and Yamada blushed and laughed, catching Keito's eye quickly before he continued on past, as though he hadn't seen Keito before in his life.

  
    Making a split second decision Keito followed behind Yamada and the girl, curious, wanting to see Yamada in action for himself. The two entered a bookstore, and Keito watched from a cafe across the street as Yamada paid for her book, and graciously held the door open for her   
as they left, a smile on his face, his hair cutely falling into his eyes. Keito stayed behind as the two continued on; he had seen enough. A couple of minutes later an employee from the bookstore exited the shop and approached him, handing him a slip of paper before going to   
the register to get himself a cup of tea. Confused, Keito looked down at the paper. It read

  
_Brat, tell the guys I'm gonna be late for dinner please. Thanks. I'll_   
_pay you back tomorrow. Don't ask how, it's a surprise_ _._ _  
_ -Ryosuke

  
    Surprised, Keito tucked the note into his pocket, and did as Yamada requested, Daiki looking annoyed and worried when Keito informed him that his boyfriend wouldn't be back for the dinner of octopus tempura Ryutaro was preparing. The tempura was delicious, Keito eating it alone in his corner as per usual, pondering Yamada. He had seemed so honest and sweet with that girl, it was awful, and upsetting to think he was going to use her for money, and disappear. Keito found himself getting angry with the other boys in the house. How could they do that to people?! Just use them and cast them aside like that! Didn't they have any pride? Any chivalry at all? He got himself worked up, and went to bed feeling sick.

  
    He was woken in the night to the sound of the front door opening, and hushed voices. He got out of bed, and went to the landing to see who it was. Yamada was there, and Daiki must have waited up for him, because the two were sharing a kiss. Two boxes stood just inside the   
doorway, and it must have been raining because both Yamada and the boxes were soaked, dripping onto the floor.

  
    "How was it?" Daiki said, pulling Yamada into a strong hug.

  
    "Fine. I don't want to talk about her right now though." Yamada said, leaning in for another kiss.

  
    "You taste like lip gloss." Daiki said, his tone annoyed, but his hands, which were slipping themselves under Yamada's shirt, lightly brushing the skin on his lower back contradicting that.

  
    "Yamada buried his face in Daiki's shoulder, letting himself rest in Daiki's arms for a minute, before Daiki picked him up, and whispered

  
    "You look exhausted, let's go to bed...we can take care of the chair in the morning."

  
    Keito hurried back to his own room, and listened as Daiki climbed the stairs, and entered his own bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

  
    Keito overslept that morning, not waking up until almost noon. He had not been able to fall asleep for a long time after Yamada had come home; instead he had lain awake in bed, waiting, wishing he could simply forget today and dream. When he finally did wake, he found himself unable to move. Ryutaro was there, sitting in his bed, watching him.

  
    "Um...." He tried to sit up, but found that his wrists were tied to the bed.

  
    "Why?" He asked, and Ryutaro gave him a small smirk.

  
    "Yama-chan. He doesn't want you coming down and spoiling the surprise. I told him I'd make sure you didn't leave your room until he was ready."

  
    Keito lifted his head, craning his neck to see the rest of his body. His ankles, knees, and torso had ropes binding him to the frame of his bunk.

  
    "If I promise not to leave will you cut me loose?"

  
    Ryutaro shook his head, leaning against the wall. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, and Keito started trying to slip a wrist free, twisting it. Suddenly, Ryutaro was pinning him down, his fist pulled back, aiming at Keito’s face.

  
    "No. Bad dog." He said, the threat obvious. Keito nodded, scared. He didn't know Ryu had such good reflexes. They went back to the silence, and that lasted for almost an hour, until Keito couldn't stand lying there any longer, struggling with his bonds once again. Sure enough, as Ryutaro had threatened, his fist connected with Keito’s face almost as soon as he began struggling. Ryutaro could pack a punch, Keito found, tears of pain coming to his eyes, the eye Ryu had hit beginning to swell almost immediately.

  
    "I told you. No. Just wait, they'll come and get you." Sure enough, another forty minutes later, Inoo peaked his head in.

  
    "They're done, Ryutaro. How'd he do?" Inoo hopped on the ladder to get a look at Keito, and tutted. "You tied him up?" Ryu nodded. "And...what happened to his face?!"

  
    "He resisted." Inoo got out a knife from his pocket, beginning to cut Keito loose.

  
    "You're one scary kid." Ryutaro smirked.

  
    "Good." The youngest boy said, jumping down from the bunk, and exiting the room.

  
    "Let's see here..." Inoo said, helping Keito down, and examining his face. "Ryu didn't get you too bad. You'll be fine, aside from the black eye."

  
    Keito rushed to the bathroom, checking his face in the mirror. A dark purple bruise was developing around his eye, the skin swollen. Whatever Yamada's surprise was, it probably wasn't worth this Keito thought to himself, as he trudged down the stairs. He reached the   
landing, and ran into Yamada, who had obviously been waiting for him.

  
    "Brat, this is for you." He said, handing him, to Keito's surprise, the guitar from the pawn shop yesterday. It had been fixed up, painted a matte black and new strings had been attached.

  
    "Wha-But...I mean...thanks." Yamada smiled, and ruffled Keito's hair, saying "Put some ice on that eye, and then you should try it out, okay?" Keito nodded, and went to get himself some ice. Daiki however, beat him to it.

  
    "Here, you bastard." The older boy said, putting it on Keito's eye a bit more forcefully than he needed to. Keito flinched as it hit his swollen flesh. "Don't think Ryosuke being nice to you means anything. Start getting ideas, and you'll get more than a black eye, got it?!" Daiki whispered, giving Keito a glare. Keito paled and nodded, picturing what Daiki could do to him with those hands.

  
    After Daiki's warning Keito spent the rest of the day first tuning, and then playing his new guitar. He was in the middle of a song of his own creation, when Chinen entered the room, plopping down on the couch, listening to him play. He immediately became self conscious, and ended the song early.

  
    "How many do you know?" Chinen asked when the strumming stopped.

  
    "I don't know, Kumi-cho. Lots." Keito said meekly, uncomfortable with the attention.

  
    "Do you know Mr. Children?" Chinen asked, an expectant look on his face.

  
    "U-um, yes sir. Oyabun had lots of their sheet music at home..." Chinen smiled.

  
    "Good. Play some."

  
    So Keito did. He did for over an hour, Chinen just sitting and listening, occasionally singing along or inserting a song request. At some point Ryutaro walked in, and Chinen grabbed him, forcing him to join them, and when he tried to slip away, Chinen pulled him back onto the couch, sitting in his lap with a smirk. This continued until shortly before dinner, Chinen falling asleep there on the couch in Ryutaro's arms. He and Keito sat in an awkward silence after that, neither knowing what to say, until Inoo's yell announcing that dinner was ready woke the little Kumi-cho with a start.

  
    Keito waited for the others to get their food before getting himself some, and was heading over to his usual spot on the living room floor when Hikaru leaned back and grabbed him, jerking on his arm and making him lose his balance, and fall into an empty dining chair. Keito just sat there for a minute, stunned and disoriented, before turning to look at Hikaru, giving him a questioning glance, before standing back up again to go to eat his meal.

  
    "Hey brat, don't act so ungrateful, it took us forever to build that chair!" Hikaru said, forcing Keito back into it with another well placed tug.

  
    "Yeah, it really did take you guys forever." Ryutaro said, from where he was sitting, between Chinen—who was at one head of the table—and Inoo.

  
    "Well, it might not have taken so long if this idiot could just read Japanese correctly the first time." Takaki said, nodding toward Inoo.

  
    "Hey!" Inoo yelled, sticking his tongue out childishly as a retort. Sarcastic, well humored banter ensued, and Keito turned to Yuto, who was seated on his left, and said

  
    "What—I mean....uh?"

  
    Yuto finished chewing, and whispered "You earned a spot at the table, brat." Before taking another bite, ignoring Keito's stuttered thanks. He looked around. They had accepted him as one of them. He was finally a part of their dysfunctional family. From across the table, the   
Kumi-cho caught his eye, and gave him a small nod. Keito nodded back, a grin taking over his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted to my Livejournal here: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/4189.html


	5. Chapter 5

    It took Keito weeks to get used to eating dinner with the rest of the boys. And one morning just a little over two weeks into that time Keito walked down the stairs into a heated argument. Takaki and Ryutaro had each other by their shirt collars, looks of fury on both of their faces.

  
    "You're wrong." Takaki's voice was deadly calm, but Ryutaro snarled

 

    "Just because you can't handle the truth—" Takaki let out a yell, and Keito was suddenly afraid. He jumped between the two boys and Takaki's fist connected with Keito's chest, the force pushing him into the coffee table and onto the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

  
    "WHAT THE HELL?!” Ryutaro yelled, staring at Keito incredulously. Takaki just stood there, stunned.

  
    "What was that for, you bastard?!" Ryutaro rounded on Keito, still angry, before storming out of the room. Takaki gave Keito a quick glance before leaving the house completely, slamming the door on his way out. Keito lay there gasping for air until Yabu found him, pulling him to his feet and immediately beginning to check Keito over for injuries.

  
    "Ryu said Takaki punched you." The young man said, before pulling Keito's shirt off and inhaling sharply in surprise.

  
     "What?" Keito asked, worried now.

  
    "Takaki didn't hold back when he socked you, brat." Yabu told him. "You're already bruising."     Yabu went to get some ice, and Keito wandered to the closest bathroom, flicking on the light to inspect his new injury. It was impressive, black marks blooming where each of Takaki's knuckles had hit him, the area surrounding them red and inflamed, sure to develop into more bruised flesh.

  
    "Here." Yabu said, finding Keito and handing him a zip lock bag full of ice. Keito spent the rest of the day laying around, icing his bruise. That night during dinner Yabu forced Ryutaro and Takaki to tell the rest of them about what had happened, and after forcing Keito to show them the bruise he had sustained—which was now an amazing mass of various shades of purple and black—he announced that he thought Keito needed to be taught how to fight.

  
    "Is the show over yet, Yabuchii?" Hikaru asked, the expression on his face saying that he was ready to get past this matter and eat his meal.

  
    "No. Almost." Yabu said, before surprising everyone with his last statement. "I think you should teach the brat, Hika." Hikaru gave him a blank stare.

  
    "No. Why the hell should I teach that bastard anything?"

  
    "You are the best, Hika." Inoo said.

  
    "Yeah, you taught me." Ryutaro agreed.

  
    "I only took over teaching you when—when the Kumi-cho was busy." Hikaru protested, getting angry.

  
    "I'm not teaching that son-of-a—" Hikaru stopped himself, struggling to find his words for a moment before just continuing. "...anything, and that's final." Arguments broke out, and Keito was afraid; if things continued like this someone was going to get hurt.

  
    "Hey!" Chinen’s high pitched voice rang above the din, and everyone fell silent.

  
    "Hikaru, you will teach the brat how to fight. You are responsible for getting him in condition for when we raid the Wakaba. Understand?"

  
    "Yes sir."

  
    Chinen swept his gaze over the rest of them, daring them to challenge his decision. And so Keito's fight training began.

  
    On the first day Hikaru simply dragged Keito outside and into the   
alley, and said

  
    "Punch me." Keito did, concentrating hard.

  
    "Okay...now this time don't break your wrist. Keep a solid line.  Again." Hikaru said, and in this manner their lessons began; one hour of offense, and one hour of defense, the second hour leaving Keito bruised and sore. After about the first week Hikaru had made a dummy out of wood, pillows, and a basketball, which he gave to Keito, impressing upon him the need to practice with it.

 

Keito’s days had become very busy. He spent the mornings sitting out a couple of blocks from home, playing his guitar for the pocket change of passerby. After lunch he had swindling lessons with Yuto and sometimes Yamada, and fighting lessons with Hikaru until dinner, after which he would practice with the dummy until past nightfall, his knuckles often scabbed or bleeding and wrapped in bandages. Slowly but surely he began to improve.

  
    On one of those days he was out in the morning, playing his guitar at a cafe when he noticed a girl about his age watching him discreetly. He pretended not to notice, and soon she sat down, not even bothering to hide her stares anymore. After the song he had been playing ended he turned to look at her properly. She was rather plain looking, with short hair and a tiny frame, an expensive looking camera hung from its strap around her neck.

  
    "Hi." He said, smiling, not really knowing what to expect. He had never had someone sit and listen to him play before.

  
    "Hi. What's your name?" She asked, a small blush tinting her cheeks.

  
    "Sakurai....Sakurai Tsubasa." Keito lied, remembering what Yuto had told him—never use your own name. She smiled.

  
    "I'm Ohkura Hana."

  
    "It’s nice to meet you." He said warmly, and her smile got bigger.

  
    "I was wondering, Sakurai-kun, if I could take some pictures of you playing your guitar. You just look so...wonderful, if you wouldn't mind?" She said, fingering her camera. Keito put on his best grin.

  
    "Of course you can. I'm honored that someone would...I've never...I mean..." Keito was at a loss for words, so he simply shut up. She giggled at his flustered expression, and he went back to playing his guitar, trying not to notice as she snapped away, sometimes asking him to pose differently for her. Yuto would have been proud; he was perfect. He flirted a bit, making funny faces, and playing songs about flowers for her, smiling and laughing with her, making her feel special. He did this for an hour or so, leaving the cafe with Ohkura Hana's number in his pocket, having told her he wanted to see the pictures—and her—once she had developed them.

  
    He returned to the house a bit earlier than usual, his heart racing in his chest as he thought over what he had done...he had succeeded! He had his first target in sight, and it was basically effortless. He was elated, excited to prove to Yuto that he was learning. He stopped. Suddenly, a horrible wave of disgust washed over him. The thought that he was going to take this girl, leach off of her and lie to her, and then disappear without a goodbye was repulsing.He thought over his actions, his moral compass making him feel a little sick. Angry with himself, he took the scrap of paper with Hana's number on it out of his pocket and rummaged around in a drawer until he found a lighter. He was just about to set the paper aflame when a question crossed his mind, causing him to pause.

  
    How was he going to pay for his keep? How was he going to live here if he couldn't pay for himself; if he couldn't, or wouldn't manipulate these girls? Did he really have much choice in the matter? Yes, he decided. He would find some way. And with that, he set the phone number on fire, watching as it burned, strengthening his resolve, and he felt a twinge of sadness. He wished he could have been friends with Hana, she seemed like a nice, interesting person. But this was best.

 

    With that completed he found Yuto and told him that he didn't want to learn how to swindle anymore. Yuto was a bit upset, and he pestered Keito for a reason. At length Keito found himself telling Yuto all about his meeting with the photography girl. Yuto listened, intrigued, as Keito went through everything, even through how Keito had felt afterwards, to when he had burnt the phone number. Once Keito had finished they both fell silent. Keito was sure Yuto would be angry and would yell and huff, before leaving, annoyed. Instead, Yuto said thoughtfully

  
    "I never looked at it like you do...I never thought of them as people; they're just tools or conveniences, like a grocery store or something to me."

  
    With that, Yuto wandered away, still deep in thought. They stopped having their lessons, although Keito found that he still hung out with Yuto just as much as he had been before. Keito spent his free time going to cafes and other places, asking to be the evening entertainment; he would sing and play his guitar to earn money so that he could pay his dues. When he wasn't doing this he spent more time than ever before on his fighting technique, waking up before the sun did and staying out until Takaki and Yabu would leave to go clubbing. Soon this became routine, and bit by bit he got stronger.

  
    One of those mornings he rolled out of bed, ate a small breakfast of rice and eggs and went out to the alley and began practice with his dummy as usual when he felt that he was being watched. He stopped, glancing around, but no one was there. The feeling eventually left him, and the rest of the day continued normally until that night, after dinner, when it washed over him again. He pretended not to notice, continuing to practice with his dummy, while secretly searching the shadows with his peripheral vision.

 

    A barely detectable shift in a shadow by the corner of a building caught his eye, and he lunged, punching at the thing. His hand hit nothing, but in the dodge, the thing that had been standing there had moved out of his hiding place and into view. It was a person, a man, in a suit. Keito couldn't get a good look at him, because the man returned Keito’s attack with one of his own, and a fight ensued...if you could call it that. Quite frankly, the man had Keito on the pavement unable to move in a matter of seconds, without punching him once.

  
    "Who are you?" Keito managed to get out, attempting to pull himself to his feet.

  
    "Shoon. Yamashita Shoon. And you are?" The man asked, offering Keito a hand and helping him up.

  
    "Sakurai Tsubasa."

  
    Now that Keito was standing he found himself looking down at the man, not up. He was rather short. Not as short as Chinen, he fell somewhere between Daiki and Hikaru. In the fading sunlight Keito examined the man's face. He was striking, young, with huge, soul searching doe eyes, full pink lips, and strong cheekbones that gave him a silent, strong look.

  
    "If you're Sakurai Tsubasa, then I'm Mickey Mouse. C'mon, what's your real name?" Keito blushed. The man had seen through him immediately.

  
    "Okamoto Keito."

  
    "What're you doing out in a place like this, Okamoto?"  Yamashita asked, leaning against the building. Keito avoided the question, instead turning it on the man.

  
    "What are _you_ doing here?" He tried to act tough and scary, like Hikaru did whenever someone asked a dumb question.

  
    "Going home. I commute every day. I got off work early today and I saw you so I stopped to watch." Shoon explained, as though it were obvious. Keito decided his explanation made perfect sense.

  
    "How'd you do that?" He asked, and to his surprise Shoon said

  
    "I'll show you." When Keito nodded he began slipping off his business jacket, and loosening his tie.

  
    Shoon explained that he had used a mix of the type of fighting that Keito was being taught by Hikaru, and knowledge of pressure points to defeat Keito. Shoon showed Keito how he did it, explaining it to him and training him, and Keito found that Shoon was an amazing teacher. They sparred into the night, both obviously enjoying themselves, until their little world was shattered by the sound of a door opening down the alley. Keito turned, and recognized the silhouettes of Yabu and Takaki. He looked back to where Shoon had been, and the young man was gone. He searched, but his new Aniki was nowhere to be found. Dejected he went inside, his thoughts consumed by the short young man with the big captivating eyes.

  
     The next day he waited out, looking for Shoon, and his waiting wasn't in vain. Soon he walked by, and Keito attempted to sneak up on him, but the attempt failed, and Shoon beat him as he had the night before.

  
    "Why'd you leave?" Keito asked, after the little fight was over. Shoon sent him a half-smile but didn't respond; instead he set his brief case down, and slipped off his business jacket. He wore a black button up shirt underneath that, which when combined with his black tie, slacks, and shoes caused him to be nearly invisible, the only thing keeping him in Keito's vision his pale skin, which seemed to glow in the moonlight.

  
    "Are you ready to learn, Okamoto-kun?" The young man asked, and with that they sparred again, Yamashita coaching him through it as they fought, telling him to block faster, attack harder, think, as they moved. Afterward Keito was exhausted, and they sat in the alley,   
talking a bit. He learned Shoon was a lawyer, and he lived on his own. He told Shoon a bit about himself, that he played guitar and lived in a house with nine other people. Shoon didn't ask many questions. Once again, when Yabu and Takaki came out Yamashita disappeared, fading into the shadows with ninja-like skill.

  
    It soon became a routine for them, the fighting practice and the small talk. The more Keito learned the more he liked about Shoon and he found himself thinking about his nightly visitor more and more often. Now that Keito had two teachers, he was improving at a rapid pace, and everyone noticed.

  
    "Your muscles are filling out fast." Yuto told him one day after he got out of the shower. "I coulda sworn it was last week that you didn't have a six pack." Hikaru was—despite himself—obviously growing to like Keito, rarely ever calling him brat or bastard anymore, and even giving him the rare smile. Keito’s popularity as a guitarist was improving as well, and he got an offer for a steady weekend job as nighttime entertainment at a small bar. He saved the money he earned, and managed to pay his dues easily. For a few weeks all was well, Keito was happy, and it seemed like everything would be peaceful. But peace didn’t last long.

 

    It was late and Keito was tired, his guitar case in his hand as he returned home from his night job, when he entered the house with a quiet

  
    "I’m back."

  
    "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Daiki shoved Keito up against the door, a wild look in his eye that Keito hadn't seen in awhile.

  
    "I-I was o-out, p-p-playing..." Keito’s voice trailed off.

  
    "It doesn't matter where he was." Inoo snarled, walking in.

  
    "You're missing the meeting. C'mon, brat." There was a harsh tone in Inoo's voice that surprised Keito. Even in more serious conversation Inoo was usually a light, casual person, that would almost always be smiling. Now he was frowning, brows furrowed, and he sent Keito a   
glare Keito didn't think he'd earned. The three returned to the kitchen, where Chinen, Hikaru, Yamada, Ryutaro, and Yuto were sitting around the table. Inoo and Daiki took their seats, and Chinen gave Keito a look that said ‘Sit the hell down, you're late, you shit.’ Keito fell into his chair, starting to truly feel afraid.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted at my Livejournal here: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/4473.html


	6. Chapter 6

    "Now that the brat has decided to bless us with his presence we can begin." Chinen declared, and everyone fell silent. "Hikaru, debrief them." Chinen said, shutting his eyes and leaning back in his chair, deep in thought. Hikaru nodded and Keito leaned in, knowing that this was more for his benefit than anything else.

  
    "Now as most of you know Yabu and Takaki came back from Amnesia night club fifty-three minutes ago after having been attacked by two members of the Wakaba—Sato Takeru and Miura Haruma. This attack has left them—for lack of a better term—fucked up." A tear made its way down Yamada's cheek and both Yuto and Daiki jumped to comfort him, Daiki pulling him to his chest and sending Yuto a glare. Yuto glared back, looking as though he wanted to punch Daiki's lights out.

  
    "Will that do Kumi-cho?" Hikaru asked, and Chinen nodded.

  
    "So, this is what we're gonna do. In two weeks, we raid the Wakaba." Chinen announced, and everyone fell silent. Keito felt he was out of the loop again. He had been sure they were all for raiding their enemy, and was positive that a date being set would bring an enthusiastic response, not these shocked looks.

  
    "But Kumi-cho, that's..." Ryutaro started, but Chinen sent him a small glance, and Ryutaro shut up.

  
    "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to question you. Please forgive me." The younger boy said, averting his eyes.

  
    "Come see me in my office later." Chinen said in a hushed voice. "Hikaru!" He said, his tone changing. "Is the brat ready?" Everyone looked over at Keito.

  
    "Yes." Hikaru was confident. Chinen turned to Keito.

  
    "Do you think you're ready?" Keito was scared out of his mind.   
    "I-I'll do my best."

  
    "You two—" Chinen nodded to Keito and Hikaru "—are in charge of the injured. We need them ready to fight in two weeks. We'll discuss strategy tomorrow; go to bed. Ryutaro, come with me." Chinen said and everyone bowed as he left, before leaving the room too, all going up   
to their beds, weary.

  
    "C'mon, let's see how they're doing." Hikaru said, slinging an arm around Keito’s shoulder, showing him true open affection for the first time ever—because that kiss definitely didn't count.

  
    "Okay."

  
    Hikaru led him to Takaki's room where both Yabu and Takaki were laying in half conscious states, faces bloody, clothes and hair unsettled. Hikaru and Keito immediately got to work, and stripped the two down to their underwear, inspecting the damage. Takaki had shards of glass smashed into his right hand, the hand itself covered in blood. Keito winced at the sight of it. Hikaru looked it over, and said

  
    "Go get the peroxide, gauze, a lighter, a needle, and tweezers from the drawer downstairs. This needs to be taken care of before it gets infected and we have to chop his hand off."

  
    The threat of having to amputate someone's limb tied Keito's stomach in a knot, and he hurried down the stairs and searched the entire kitchen for anything that looked medical, but he found nothing. At a loss, he decided to check the room off of the living room; he'd never been in there. He pushed the door open a crack, and froze. It was Chinen's office. And Chinen was in it. With Ryutaro. The Kumi-cho was sitting on his desk, and he and Ryu were sharing a hot kiss, Ryutaro's fingers entwined in Chinen's hair. As silently as he could, Keito crept away from the door, racing up the stairs, his mind rejecting what he had just seen, and his heart pounding loud in his ears.

  
    "Hey, did 'ya find the stuff?" Hikaru asked, peeking his head out the door of Takaki's bedroom. Keito shook his head, and something must've shown on his face, because Hikaru frowned. "What happened?"

  
    Keito just shook his head, and after a second Hikaru pushed past him down the stairs with a small ‘Geez’, returning after a few moments with everything he had asked Keito to get.

  
    "C'mon, let's do this. I want to go to bed."

  
    They barely spoke as they patched up their injured comrades, Hikaru obviously tired and Keito too distracted by what he'd seen downstairs. Once they finished Hikaru left with a nod and a yawn, making his way to his room. Keito immediately found himself feeling drained, and exhausted. He checked the time: three forty-six in the morning. Ugh. He sat there for a second, watching the two older boys as they slept, and next thing he knew he was being shaken awake by a gentle hand. He opened his eyes slowly, and found himself staring into Hikaru's own.

  
    "You fell asleep."

  
    He sat up and his body ached in protest. Sleeping on that hard floor had left him with knots and sore muscles. Hikaru smirked, almost laughing.

  
    "W-what time is it?" Keito asked, stifling a yawn.

  
    "Almost nine. You slept for a good five hours."

  
    Keito rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe away the fog surrounding his brain.

  
    "What is today? Friday?" Hikaru couldn't hold back his grin now.

  
    "Yup." Yuto entered the room, and with a glance at Keito he smirked.

  
    "Let's do it."

  
    Hikaru nodded, the mischievous look in Yuto's eye now reflected in his own. Keito would have been worried...but he was dozing off there on the floor again. The next thing he knew he was up in the air, suspended by Hikaru and Yuto, who had pulled him up suddenly by his limbs. They carried him down the hall to his bedroom, where they threw him onto his bed.

  
    "Wh-what the—you! I'm—" Keito sputtered, flopping face down on his pillow.

  
    "We'll wake you for dinner. Get some sleep." Yuto said, giggling, and he and Hikaru left the room, shutting the door behind them. After that however, Keito couldn't get much sleep. He might have dozed off once or twice but by lunchtime he gave up, instead crawling down the   
ladder of his bunk and trudging downstairs. It was empty except for Ryutaro, who immediately dragged him to a corner, pulling a small katana barely a foot long out of its sheath, and putting it to Keito's neck.

  
    "You tell anyone what you saw, and you're dead. Got it?" The younger boy said in a deadly whisper.

  
    "Wha—" The katana pushed a little against his skin, and he felt it break the flesh, a trickle of blood running down his throat.

  
    "Okay." He agreed, and Ryutaro stepped back, nodded, and sheathed the overgrown knife as he walked away. Couldn't he ever get a break? He had lots of secrets now, it seemed. The Kumi-cho and Ryutaro's relationship, Yuto's crush on Yamada, Inoo's crush on Daiki, and of   
course, his nighttime Aniki, Yamashita Shoon. He looked around for the other boys, surprised that they weren't in the house. He found them scattered about the alley, beating each other up. Wait. He did a double take. They weren't beating each other up...quite.

  
     Upon closer inspection he realized they were practicing, their punches not actually causing much damage, holding back. After a quick meal, Keito went out to join them, and he was paired with Daiki, to his horror. Daiki however surprised Keito; he was gentle, and instead of beating Keito to a pulp as Keito thought he would, he started slow and gradually picked up speed, talking as he went, explaining and warning like Shoon did. It was even a little bit fun. After a few hours they took a break, sitting aside and watching the others. After a minute or two, Hikaru called out to Daiki, challenging him to a match. Daiki smirked and slipped off his shirt, getting to his feet.

  
    "You sure you wanna do that?" The short boy asked, almost smug. Hikaru just sent him a small smile. Everyone stopped to watch, lining the edges of the alley. Keito stood next to Yabu, an anxiety for their safety fluttering in his chest. Yabu put an arm around Keito's shoulders, and smiled.

  
    "Don't worry, Hikaru will be fine. He's been doing this since he was ten years old. Daiki'll be fine too, he's a powerhouse. If anything someone will get a black eye, maybe."

  
    Yabu's prediction proved true. The fight lasted for almost half an hour, and over half of the punches thrown missed their mark. The boys were quick, sharp, and having fun—which was the scariest part, in Keito's opinion. Eventually Hikaru managed to kick Daiki's legs out from under him, and pounced, giving him a light whack on the head, all seriousness gone.

  
    "I win!"

  
    Daiki pouted a bit and Hikaru stood up, pulling the short boy to his feet. After that practice resumed and they continued until dinner. Keito was exhausted, he hurt, there was blood on him, and he didn't know where it was coming from; yet he managed to drag himself out after dinner, and he sat waiting until Shoon's now familiar figure made its way down the semi-dark backstreets, to where he was standing.

  
    "Hi, Aniki." Keito said, a smile spreading across his face upon seeing the young man's face.

  
    "You look like you're in pain." Shoon said, setting his briefcase down as per usual.

  
    "Oh, don't worry about that it's nothing..." Keito mumbled, but Shoon wasn't paying attention to his words.

  
    "Take off your shirt and lay down." Confused, Keito did as he was told, gently lowering his chest to the pavement.

  
    "Um...what're you going to-" Shoon put his hands to Keito's flesh, and Keito stopped mid word, his mind going blank, and he melted into Shoon's touch. The massage was amazing. Shoon got the knots from the night before out of his back, and Keito nearly fell asleep multiple   
times. It was as though Shoon knew exactly where Keito was hurting, and knew exactly how to fix it. When he finished, Keito felt like a new person. A grin stuck to his face, his heart light.

 

    "Thank you." He whispered. Shoon smiled back at him.

  
    "Anytime."

  
    Shoon packed up and began to walk away, and Keito watched him go for a bit, when an urge came over him, and he ran after he man in the suit and gave him a thankful hug, and a kiss on the cheek, before running back away, feeling Shoon's eyes watching him as he left, refusing to look back. He took a deep breath before going back into the building, hiding his sudden change in mood. As he walked in, Yuto moaned.

  
    "I feel like....ugh." The tall boy said, flopped over the side of the couch.

  
    "Maybe you need to get laid." Takaki said, and Yuto shot up in his seat blushing, accidentally whacking Yamada, who was on the couch next to him.

  
    "Wh-what?!"

  
    Takaki laughed, and thumped up the stairs. After a minute Yuto pulled himself to his feet, and followed Takaki up, leaving Keito alone with Yamada.

  
    "Hey." Yamada said, patting the seat next to him, offering it to Keito. Keito sat quietly, and Yamada smiled at him.

  
    "How're you?" Keito nodded.

  
    "Fine. You?" Yamada tilted his head back and forth in a wishy-washy kind of way.

  
    "I'm sore, and my shoulders are knotting up, but other than that, I'm fine." Suddenly, an idea hit Keito. It was kind of crazy, but...why not?

  
    "Yamada-san, take off your shirt and lay on your stomach for me." Yamada gave him a look of mild confusion, but he did as Keito asked. Tentatively, Keito put his fingers to Yamada's lower back, trying to imitate the way Shoon had used his hands to make Keito's pains go away. As he lay there, Yamada made conversation.

  
    "You sparred with Dai-chan right? He's a good sparring partner."

  
    "He was very understanding with me." Keito affirmed. Yamada shifted his head to glance back at Keito for a second.

  
    "Lots of people think Dai-chan is a hot headed, unreasonable bully of a person. He surprised you today, didn't he?" Keito nodded, and although Yamada hadn't seen the gesture, he seemed to sense it.

  
    "He's very sweet really. Dai-chan was orphaned at an early age, four or five. He was fostered for a while, but no one kept him very long, and he bounced from house to house. One day, when he was twelve or so, he ran away, and he was beaten up by some guys from our Kumi. When he tried to fight back, they teased him, because he was so small, and told him to come back when he was bigger.” Yamada sighed, shifting as Keio’s hands moved up his back.

 

    “Six months later Daiki had beaten them all to a pulp. Slowly but surely he moved his way up the Kumi, gaining strength and age as he went. They called him ‘The Dragon’ because he seemed, to them, an unstoppable monster. At some point he gained his tattoo, and the nickname stuck. He'd legend in the underlings ya know." Yamada paused, and Keito just worked quietly, listening, knowing the story wasn't over.

  
    "Everything was taken from him. He didn't have a family, a home, and he built up strength, and walls to protect himself. He was cold, almost heartless when I first met him. The one weakness he had was Inoo. They met when he was training to become strong, shortly after he   
ran away. Inoo stuck with him, despite Daiki himself trying everything he could think of to push him away. Eventually, after Inoo survived every test of will Daiki could think of, he accepted him into his life, and became extremely protective. Then, when he fell in love with me, it was almost immediate. He went from not caring, to not wanting me out of his sight, and getting jealous easily, in a mere month. He made me his other half at once.

  
    "He seems overprotective and ridiculous, but look at it from his point of view. He's scared of losing something he holds dear. Again. So he'd decided he'll do everything to protect me and the things he cares about as much as he possibly can. We used to fight about it a lot; he didn't even want me to participate in any fights, or swindle. I told him that made him not much better than Ryunosuke-kun. We worked it out, came to an understanding, compromised. He's made protecting his precious things the only thing that matters in the world." Yamada sighed, and   
Keito worked his way up to the short boy’s shoulders.

  
    "Just, don't think badly of him, okay? He's a really amazing person." Keito thought over this story of Daiki's past, and it explained quite a bit of his housemate's actions.

  
    "Do you love him?" Keito asked gently.

 

    "Yes."

  
    "Was he...your first love?" Yamada giggled.

  
    "This is like what I think a high school girl’s slumber party would be like." He said, but then after a short pause he answered Keito's question.

  
    "No. He's not. My first love was Yuto." Keito froze, his hands stopping their meticulous dance.

  
    "Don't act so surprised. Do you want to hear the story?" Yamada said, wiggling, hoping Keito would keep working on his shoulders.

  
    "Okay." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/4611.html


	7. Chapter 7

    "I was kidnapped by the Wakaba group, and kept in a small room by my childhood friend, Kamiki Ryunosuke—or as I used to call him, Kami-chan. Then the Wakaba were raided by these guys, well, not all of them. Takaki, Kumi-cho, and Ryutaro weren't in the Kumi yet. But that's beside the point. They took me from the Wakaba hideout and brought me here. I explained to them who I was, that I wasn't a yakuza member, and asked them to let me go. They didn't believe me at first; but then Yuto convinced them, and as soon as I saw him I knew...I loved him.

  
    "He was the only one that really took much interest in me, nursing me back to health and teaching me things, playing games and making a friend out of me. He updated me on the outside world, and made me feel light hearted and hopeful despite my grim situation—kidnapped once more. He was my star. Then, one day he came and found me, and he was crying. He told me that it was in the papers that my family thought I had died, and had moved away. I didn't believe him at first; I didn't want to. But he promised me through his tears that he'd help me find my family.

  
    "That night he woke me and dragged me down the stairs, putting a blindfold over my eyes and carrying me out the door, through the night. He set me down by a cherry tree, and took the blindfold off, and he told me to leave and find my family, but he began to cry. His tears brought tears of my own to my eyes, I didn't want to leave him. Yet, I missed my family, I hadn't seen them in over a year. I asked him to come with me. He said he couldn't, and he wiped my tears, and kissed me on the cheek, handing me a small cherry blossom and said.

  
    "‘ _ Don’t forget about me, okay? _ ’ Before I could stop him he ran off. I tried to chase him, I yelled after him; yelled that I loved him, but he was already gone. The next day I realized I would probably never be able to find my old family. I decided to make his family my own and stay by his side—so I searched, and found him, and decided I'd never leave his side again. I'm still in love with him, a little. I think you always are a little in love with your first love." Yamada's voice got steadily quieter as he told the story, until it was a small mumble. The whole thing was rather bittersweet, and Keito felt himself choking up a bit.

  
    His hand traced over the sakura band tattoo around Yamada's arm; it now took on a whole new meaning.

  
    "This..."

  
    "A tribute..." Yamada whispered. "...to my first love, and best friend." One minute later, Yamada was fast asleep, spread out on the couch.

  
    The next morning, when Keito came downstairs, Yamada was telling the other boys about the massage from the night before. 

  
    "It was just like—" Yamada's voice dropped, and he leaned close to Yuto, whispering in his ear. Yuto smiled and nodded, and Keito's eyes caught on Yamada's tattoo, and the way Yuto looked at Yamada, and he felt uneasy. The poor things had just barely missed each other. He   
sighed and hoped this wouldn't end too badly for them. 

  
    "Where'd you learn that Keito?" Yuto asked, and Keito had a quick moment of panic. He didn't want to lie, but he couldn't tell them.

  
    "I taught myself...I massaged my mom when I was younger, before the divorce, but I've never done anyone else before..." His fib was plausible, and they accepted it readily. He swallowed the guilt from lying, and went to get breakfast. They spent the rest of the day—and the week—training for their upcoming act of violence as they had the day before; doing one-on-one battles, or sometimes two-on-one, or two-on-two. Yuto and Yamada were amazing partners, making their fights look more like dances than anything else, knowing each other inside out, predicting their partner’s next move, and countering it with a move the other had foreseen.

 

    They seemed to be having the most fun with it. Daiki often would brood, in a bad mood, when Yuto and Yamada had these practices; yet he never fought against Yamada. Keito   
overheard him mumble to his hands ’I couldn't stand it.’ once after turning down Yamada's offer to join them and get Ryutaro, to do a two-on-two match.

  
    Every night Shoon still stopped by. At first Keito was worried, not sure if things would be awkward after his random display of affection—which he was now extremely embarrassed about. But Shoon never mentioned the kiss on the cheek, and soon Keito stopped bothering about it. They still sparred, but the sessions were shorter, and their talks were longer, Keito weary after fighting almost all day.Despite his exhaustion he had grown strong, his sore, stiff muscles rippling under his skin. Occasionally Shoon would give Keito a massage, smiling and taking quietly as he did so, every time leaving Keito feeling renewed. 

 

    One of these nights Hikaru asked Keito to massage him, after he had come in. Surprised, Keito did so, a bubble of happiness swelling in his chest as he thought of how he had managed to become friends with Hikaru, despite the older boy’s negative first opinion of him. Hikaru began telling a story as Yamada had; something about their old Kumi-cho before Chinen, mumbling something about a tattoo of the rising sun before falling fast asleep despite his obvious efforts to stay awake.

  
    The last week before the battle was spent doing other things. That Tuesday they all went and got refitted for suits, the tailor assuring them that the suits would be ready within forty-eight hours. He had seemed nervous, jittery, as soon as they had walked through the door, over polite and wary at all times. They terrified him. Poor guy. They were fitted by the unspoken rank they held in the Kumi; Chinen going first, then Hikaru, then Yabu, et cetera, down to Keito. They all had matching black suits with black silk shirts, and differently colored ties, picked out by Yamada for them all. He handed Keito a mint green one, and Hikaru paid for it all with some of the money they had saved.

 

    The next day they did strategic planning. Inoo drew up a blueprint of the Wakaba's main hideout, which was a converted set of warehouses near an abandoned dock. They used little things like buttons and coins as themselves, moving them, setting the strategy—not that there was much of one, really. It was just mostly who entered where, and where to meet up. The night before they were going to attack everyone was solemn, not talking to each other much.

  
    "What’s wrong with everyone?" Keito asked Yuto, who looked just as somber as the others did. 

 

    "Well tomorrow's the twenty-first." Yuto said, his tone implying just how stupid he found Keito’s question. Keito just stared back blankly.

  
    "No one's told you?!" Yuto was incredulous. Keito shook his head. Yuto sighed.

  
    "Fine. I'll tell you. Tomorrow we're going to the cemetery, to visit our former member, Ayukawa Taiyo. Taiyo-kun would have been twenty this year. He died in a raid five years ago tomorrow, just after Ryutaro and his brother joined the Kumi." This new information hit Keito in the chest like a bag of bricks.

  
    "I'm sorry." The words stumbled out, and he was mulled over what Yuto had said. That's why Ryutaro had protested when Chinen had set the date. It was a day of grief for them all.

  
    "I have a picture, here—" Yuto got his wallet from his pocket, flipping it open, past a picture of a little boy to another, this one an unfamiliar teen. He was in the kitchen, Keito recognized it. He was very tall, with a big grin on his face; brownish-black hair fell around it, framing the dorkiness that he conveyed. Behind him in the background out of focus was a topless figure at the stove, with a tattoo that was blurred out on his bare back, taking up all of the exposed skin. Keito didn't recognize the figure, but he assumed it was the old Kumi-cho that Hikaru had mentioned. The one with the tattoo of the sun on his back. Sun. Taiyo. 

  
    Keito made the connection, and wondered if that was the reason behind the sun tattoo. If it was a symbol of their now lost member. A brother he never met. He stared at the boy in the picture, and he was surprised by how badly he wished he could have met him.

  
    "He was our sun...our Taiyo." Yuto said, glancing at the picture, and shutting his wallet swiftly, obviously about to cry. 

  
    The next morning Keito woke with a start and looked down over the edge of his bunk to see Yuto was already slipping on his nice clothes. Keito hopped out of bed and they dressed silently, fixing their shirt collars and ties as they went down stairs. They waited as the others joined them, and they all ate a small breakfast of rice and eggs together at the table, barely speaking. Yabu looked awful, distraught. Hikaru had an arm over his shoulders, silently comforting him. Keito just observed the grief silently, not truly able to take part.

 

    Everyone filed out of the house and turned down a few streets to where a limousine was waiting to take them to the cemetery. On the ride there, Yamada ended up  _ coincidentally  _ next to Yuto, far from Daiki, who was in a front seat. Yamada was looking almost as upset as Yabu, Keito noticed the short boy seemed the worst about hiding his emotions, and Yuto slipped his hand into his brown haired friends own, giving it a comforting squeeze. Yamada rested his head on Yuto's shoulder, shutting his eyes. Keito pretended not to notice the slight look of happiness that lit Yuto's eyes when Yamada did that and instead turned his attention to the window, watching gray scenery flash by until they reached their destination, piling out of the car silently. Chinen, a bouquet in hand, led the way through the graves to the one they were there to see.

  
    They climbed the last stair, and turned the last corner, and everyone froze. A figure was kneeling at the grave, his back to them. That back was bare displaying an amazing tattoo of the sun, rising over a small town dwarfed by the colors the sun’s rays sent out. A sun of hope, and   
joy. The previous Kumi-cho. The man stood up, shoes twisting in the gravel, and turned around to face them. Tears ran down his cheeks, from amazing, large doe eyes. Long scars covered his chest, and his black hair fell and framed his young, beautiful face. The face of Yamashita   
Shoon. Keito's heart stopped in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/4982.html


	8. Chapter 8

    "Looks like I've been found out." Shoon said, eyes not meeting Keito's own. "K-Kumi-cho." someone sputtered. Keito was numb. Shoon was the ex-Kumi-cho? But that couldn't be right, Shoon wasn't a yakuza—he was soft and kind, and he was a lawyer! A lawyer—he-he couldn't be—. With a raw yell, Daiki launched himself at Shoon, and Keito heard himself yell in protest. Ryutaro and Takaki also rushed at their ex-leader, Ryutaro pulling a knife out of his sleeve as he did so. Keito moved to protect Shoon. They mustn't hurt him—no—they can't, there had to be some sort of explanation! Hikaru stopped him.

  
    "Keito, do you know him?" It was a question that held a deadly weight. Keito didn't respond, trying to shove past Hikaru to Shoon, not thinking about his actions consequences. Inoo held him back, wrapping his arms around Keito's own, rendering him unable to move. Keito watched with his heart in his throat as Shoon took down all three of his attackers in under a minute, taking Ryu's knife and slipping it back in its sheath, throwing it to Hikaru who caught it deftly.

  
    "How's the Kumi, Hachibee?" Shoon asked, and Hikaru treated him to his best look of disgust. Behind Shoon Takaki got to his feet, throwing himself at him once again, swinging his fist, but Shoon sent him to the gravel once more. 

  
    "Won't you call them off Hika? I don't want to hurt anyone." Shoon said, his voice calm and measured.

  
    "You gave up any relation to them when you ditched us. What do you care about them anymore? You gutless cowardly son of a bitch!" Hikaru said, his voice still full of contempt. He was glaring, pain in his face, and after a huff he spit out "Besides, I'm not in a position to do that." Shoon looked at him in wide eyed confusion. "Chinen's Kumi-cho, not me." Hikaru finished. Shoon frowned at that, brows furrowed in concern, but Keito wanted his own answers.

  
    "Shoon! Shoon, please, they're wrong right? You're not a yakuza are you?! You didn't ditch them did you?! Please, please—" Keito searched Shoon's face, dread growing within him, tearing through him as Shoon muttered a gentle

  
    "I'm sorry."

 

    Chinen's voice rang with authority.

  
    "Leave now and we won't kill you." The short boy said, a gun in his hand. A tear ran down Shoon’s face, but he left, his tattoo throwing everything back in Keito's face as he walked away, the image burning into his vision. Inoo let go of his arms, and they all turned to stare at him, looks of betrayal on their faces. Keito knew he was in the wrong, knew he was going to be punished for this, knew he deserved it. He waited in silence.

  
    "I'd tell you to cut off your pinky, but I have no use for it." Chinen's voice rang sharp. "You can do what you want with him. As long as he gets punished. Well. Before tonight. I don't want this still hanging over our heads when we raid the Wakaba tonight. Understand?"

  
    "Yes sir." Everyone said, and they picked up Takaki, Ryutaro, and Daiki from the ground, all apologizing to Taiyo for fighting at his grave, and with a small bow from each, they left. On Taiyo's grave was the bouquet they'd brought, and a small cup of black tea, which Keito   
assumed was from Shoon. No one spoke to him, not even Yuto or Yamada. He followed behind them back to the car and they ignored him all the way home until they were dropped off a couple of blocks from the house.

  
    "You can go ahead. We'll take care of it." Daiki said to their leader, and Chinen nodded. Yabu and Chinen continued back to the house, the rest of the boys forming a circle around Keito, grim looks on their faces. 

  
    "Take off your jacket, tie, and shirt." Hikaru demanded, and Keito understood the unspoken  
‘so that we don't get it bloody’. He as he was told and he stood there in front of them, waiting. Hikaru stepped forward and slugged Keito in the stomach. Tears sprung to Keito's eyes, but he refused to let them fall, instead standing as still as he could as they each took their turn, punching his body. Then, a few hits into Yamada’s turn he heard a snap, and a sharp pain rang up his bones. It had to be one of his ribs he realized, and his eyes found Yamada's own, surprise and remorse in the shorter man’s gaze.

 

    He fell to his knees and Yuto stepped forward, pulling him to his feet, holding him there until everyone had beat on him to their satisfaction. Once that was completed Yuto helped him walk back to the house, supporting him whenever he needed it. Keito stole a glance at his tall companion's face. Yuto looked back at him, very matter-of-fact.

  
    "We'll get the rib bandaged tight before the raid tonight." Keito nodded, and neither said another word until they reached the house, and sat him down on the couch. Yabu was sitting in the living room, waiting with a first aid kit.

  
    "Yamada broke a rib. Right side. I think it was an accident." Yuto reported, before leaving. Yabu poked and prodded a bit, asking if it hurt when he did ‘this’. After that, he got to work on Keito's torso, but Keito wasn't paying much attention to what Yabu was actually doing to him.

  
    "I've been instructed to only make it so that you can be useful tonight, and leave everything else alone. Kumi-cho also said you're to eat in here again for two weeks. Okay?" Yabu said, finishing wrapping him in gauze. They tested his mobility; he raised his hands above his head, walked and ran, and mocked punching something.

  
    "I'll get you a good knife and you'll be fine, here—" Yabu wandered over to the closet under the stairs and came back with a simple short katana like the one Ryutaro had threatened him with a few weeks ago. Keito took it, and slipped it into his pocket, the hilt sticking out of the top. With that, he was left alone with his thoughts. His mind went on loop, replaying Shoon's unmasking over and over; the symbolic tattoo, the hatred in his housemates voices and faces as they looked at him, and the horrible apology that confirmed the nightmare. The betrayal. Alone, Keito cried.

  
    At the first sign of sunset Hikaru found him and informed him that they were leaving to attack. Keito stood and went to exit the room, to go with him; but Hikaru didn't move. Instead he walked toward Keito and wiped his tears away with the brush of a gentle thumb.

  
    "You had something on your face." Hikaru said gruffly, and they exited the room quietly, Keito's spirits lifted ever so slightly. Hikaru would forgive him. Maybe not now, not today, but they would move past this. This wouldn't last forever.

  
    They reached the Wakaba hideout at twilight. It was a set of old warehouses poorly converted into living quarters—it looked exactly as the other boys had described it—exactly as Inoo's blueprint had shown. The boys split up, all going to cover different exits. Keito and Ryutaro slipped around the side of the building, catching sight of a door guarded by two underlings. Ryutaro knocked them out swiftly and they entered the building. They found themselves in a sparse room which contained nothing but a card table and some fluorescent tube lights on the ceiling.

  
    The room wasn't empty. Three young men a few years older than them, were sitting around the table, playing cards. When the door opened one looked up Ryutaro announced their presence with a roar, and the fiasco began.

  
    "ATTACK!" One of the boys yelled, before Ryutaro slugged him in the face. Ryu pulled a knife out from his sleeve, slipping the blade between his fingers as he swung at another boy, missing, but the blade catching the boy’s cheek, slashing a nice cut across it and over the bridge of the boy’s nose. The third boy Keito attended to, rushing at him and kicking his legs out from under him, unsheathing his blade and cutting the boys side as he went down. The boy didn't get back up. Keito turned to see two more enemy figures bursting into the room, and they charged, Keito bracing himself. 

 

    One drew a knife of his own as he ran, throwing himself at Keito. Keito felt the blade slice through the flesh on his shoulder but he ignored it, turning as the boy did, swinging his fist around and colliding with the boy's chest. The boy reacted with a jab of his own, but Keito blocked it, twisting the boy’s knife out of his hand, causing it to drop to the floor. With his free hand the boy's fist hit Keito's face hard, knocking him to the ground. As though time slowed, as Keito fell he saw one of the boys they had knocked to the ground grip the fallen knife, and turn to jab it into Ryutaro's unaware back as Keito's housemate fought with a boy Keito recognized as the one Inoo had been fighting during the attack his first night in the Kumi.

  
    "NO!" He couldn't have Ryutaro get injured, he had to protect him. He threw his body at the other boy, grasping the bare blade, feeling it slice through his flesh, and not caring. The boy kicked him in the chest, and his vision went white with pain, and he heard another rib crack. With a yell he slugged the boy in the face, knocking him out. Tears, blood, and sweat blurred his vision. He opened the hand containing the knife, and was amazed  at how much blood was on his hands.

  
    "Shit. You okay?! SHIT!" Ryutaro yelled when he noticed Keito's hand.

  
    "I'm okay, see—" Keito tried to pull himself to his feet, but the pains in his chest bound him, making it hard to move, and he crashed back to the floor.

  
    "You fucking selfless bastard!" Ryutaro whispered, picking Keito up bridal style, despite Keito's protests, and hauling him back out the door, laying him in the grass. Keito looked up at the stars and watched them wink and whisper at him as the cool night breeze kissed his face, until eventually the night went black, and he fell unconscious.

  
    Keito woke to the sound of distressed voices, and then bright lights hit him, and pain seared through his head as he tried to open his eyes.

  
    "He's awake!" A familiar voice exclaimed, and he sensed someone lean close. "Keito, can you hear me?" It was Yuto's voice, concerned. He nodded the slightest of nods, and Yuto continued. "Keito, we're back home. The raid is over. Right now you're on the kitchen table. We just finished sewing up the cut on your hand, and wrapping it up." Keito tried to process what Yuto was telling him. He had a cut on his hand? Suddenly, one image came to mind. The boy gripping the knife, turning to Ryutaro's unsuspecting back.

  
    "Ryutaro! He-how is he?!" Keito asked as blackness crept around the edges of his vision.

  
    "Shh...Ryu's fine. You saved him Keito. You saved him, he's okay." Yuto assured him, and Keito struggled to stay conscious, Yuto’s voice sounding as though it was coming from far away, until he fell into the blackness once more.

 

    Keito's senses slowly began working again as he became conscious. He was in a warm, soft bed, and he hurt all over. He opened his eyes and found himself staring right at Hikaru’s face. He blinked, his vision blurry, sure he was hallucinating and went to sit up. His chest screamed in protest at the slight movement, and he realized why he was so warm. Hikaru’s arm was wrapped around his angry chest. He wasn't hallucinating then. Wow. This was weird. 

 

    He turned and looked at Hikaru's quiet sleeping face. There was a calmness there that Keito had never seen; a gentle, peaceful look, one that made Keito wonder what other expressions of Hikaru's would look like. Things like Hikaru laughing until tears came to his eyes. Whistling. Sobbing. A Hikaru that was worry-free. He probably would never know what that would look like. But this was something. He went to brush a hair from the older boy’s nose, and he caught sight of his hand. The whole thing was wrapped tightly in gauze, all the way from the very tips of his fingers almost to his elbow. His hand burned with a pain that he hadn't realized was there until he had seen the damage. He stared at it, trying to remember what had happened. How he had gotten it. He couldn't.

  
    He lay there in his bed straining his memory, and didn't notice when Hikaru first woke up. When Hikaru jumped up in bed, and whispered something under his breath that sounded like cursing Keito got the memo.

  
    "Hi." He muttered weakly, gritting his teeth as the mattress moved as Hikaru jumped out of the bed.

  
    "You're awake." Keito nodded. "How's it feel?" Hikaru asked, his eyes sweeping over Keito's body.

  
    "I hurt a bit." Keito said, going to rub his eyes with his free hand, and finding his knuckles purple with bruises. Now he was worried.

  
    "How beat up am I?"

  
    "You're an eight and a half."

  
    "What's ten?" Keito asked, and Hikaru grimaced.

  
    "Dead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted at my Livejournal here: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/5347.html


	9. Chapter 9

    "What happened?" Keito asked, and Hikaru frowned.

  
    "We raided the Wakaba." Oh. He tried to remember.

 

    "Oh shit—" Shoon. Taiyo's grave. The sunrise tattoo. And then...nothing.

  
    "I'm gonna go get food. I'll be right back." Hikaru said, quickly exiting the room, and his presence was quickly replaced by Yuto, who was looking apprehensive, some unspoken weight in the tenseness of his shoulders and tightness of his jaw.

 

    "Keito! You're alive, thank goodness."

  
    "Yeah. What happened to me anyway?" Yuto sat on the edge of his bed.

  
    "Hikaru and Yabu said you might not remember stuff. They said that happens sometimes with traumatic experiences. Where do you last remember from?"

  
    "We left Taiyo's grave." Yuto flinched.

  
    "Oh. Okay. Well, we punished you for the thing with the old Kumi-cho, and then Yabu patched up your rib a bit. And then—” Keito was confused.

  
    "Wait. My rib?"

  
    "Yeah. Yama-chan accidentally broke it." Damn. So that would explain the pain in his chest.

  
    "So, then we went to the Wakaba main hideout, and you went with Ryutaro. He told us you stopped Yanagishita Tomo from killing him by grabbing the knife, and knocking Tomo out. Apparently Yanagishita broke another rib though. Then you passed out, and Ryu took you to the   
meet up place, we got you back here, patched you up, and stuck you in Hikaru's bed. That was yesterday morning." Keito tried to comprehend everything Yuto was telling him. It sounded like some sort of bedtime story—like the ones his father made up for him when he was really little.

  
    "Did anyone else get hurt?" Yuto cocked his head to one side, thinking.

  
    "The expected cuts and bruises. Takaki and Yamada fractured a few fingers...I think that’s all. No one got gravely injured but you." Yuto leaned toward him, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You're a hero now, you know. You saved Ryutaro. Everyone is amazed." Keito shook his head.

  
    "But, Shoon—" Yuto shook his head right back.

  
    "No. That doesn't matter anymore. Besides, we already punished you for that mess. You were obviously remorseful. What's done is done. We don't hold grudges against each other. If we did, we'd all be dead by now." Keito was curious.

  
    "Why?" Yuto smiled.

  
    "The drama eh? Okay. Takaki and Ryutaro would have murdered each other—over Kumi-cho. Inoo and Yamada over Daiki. Hikaru woulda killed Yabu for his partying. Hikaru and Chinen would be dead over leadership. I would have killed Daiki by now...um, I think that might   
be it." Wow. Everyone would be dead apparently.

  
    "Why haven't you killed Daiki exactly?" Keito asked meekly. Yuto just frowned, and he was spared a response when Hikaru returned with a bowl of steaming ramen.

  
    "Alright Yuto you're missing dinner. I was told to tell you that if you don't get down there in the next thirty seconds Ryutaro's gonna break your fingers." With a last glance at Keito, Yuto jumped up and ran out of the room. Hikaru sighed, setting the bowl down on Keito's bedside table. "You hungry?" Keito nodded, and tried to sit up. Bad idea. "Here." Hikaru said, wrapping Keito in a tight embrace, and gently pulling him to a sitting position. It hurt, but not as bad.

  
    "Thanks." Hikaru pulled a chair over to the bedside, and sat a tray with the ramen on his lap.

  
    "Here." He dipped his chopsticks into the steaming bowl and leaned toward Keito. When Keito opened his mouth to protest, Hikaru shoved the piping hot noodles into his mouth ungracefully. "Better eat them before they stretch. You're supposed to move your torso and arms as little as possible." Hikaru told him in a rush, shoving the chopsticks into his own mouth, slurping up the bite before offering another to Keito. In that way, they ate their meals. Hikaru became Keito’s main caretaker, crawling into bed with him every night—he always fussed that it was his bed to begin with, and no whiny brat was going to kick him out—and feeding him breakfast and dinner.

  
    Keito's bandages were changed the morning after he woke and he was in a state of disbelief as he looked at his body. He was shades of black, purple, green, and yellow, and in some places a blood red that looked the worst; all the way from his thighs to his shoulders. After a day or two more, he got up the courage to look in the mirror. He looked like a panda bear, two big black bruises blooming from around his eyes down his cheeks. Yuto meanwhile, was training hard, building up his muscle at an alarming rate. His friend visited less and spent the time he wasn't visiting out in the alley. During one of his visits Keito's curiosity got the better of him and he asked Yuto why he had started training so hard. The lanky boy fell into silence, and after a moment, he declared

  
    "I'm gonna challenge Daiki for Yama-chan." The words spilled out in the rush of a confession, and he continued hurriedly, as a guilty man would on trial, desperately trying to get others to understand his actions. "I love him, Keito. I love his so much I can't stand it. It hurts whenever I see him with Daiki. He's in my dreams, my thoughts, all the time...and I think he could love me back. I really do." Yuto paused. "I tried to ignore my feelings; tried to put what he wants—or seems to want—first. I tried to just be his best friend, but...I can't. I can't do it anymore, it hurts too much. It's selfish of me, but I have to do this. I have to." A tear threatened to run down Yuto's cheek. Keito took his hand, and gave it a squeeze.

  
    "Okay. If that's what you've decided." He said gently, and that seemed to pull Yuto back together to the hard, courageous yakuza member Keito knew him as. After that visit, Yuto rarely ever came to see Keito, spending all of his time in the alley, sparring with someone or training with a dummy on his own. Keito worried constantly over the whole thing. What if Yuto won? What if Daiki won? What if someone got seriously injured? What if they nearly killed each other? What if someone did d—

  
    "Hey. Stop your worrying." Keito's repetitive, negative train of thought was interrupted by Hikaru, who was sitting in bed with him, peeling an apple with a large pocket knife.

  
    "I'm not."

  
    "Lying bastard, yes you are. D'you think I haven't practically become married to you in the past few weeks and wouldn't know when you were worried?" Hikaru said with a sigh, holding a piece of apple up to Keito's lips. Quietly Keito bit into it, used to the hand feeding now. Hikaru cut off another piece, offering it again as he said  "I don't know what's got you so worked up, but you can't change it while lying here useless in bed so don't bother with it too much. What's gonna happen will happen, okay?"

  
   Hikaru’s statement was true, although Keito wasn't just lying ‘useless’ in bed all the time anymore. He had started standing up and walking, doing his best to try and recover quickly. It was hard work; he had grown weak from laying in bed for so long, and he was still bruised and broken, his body protesting at attempts at too much movement. Once or twice he was found on the floor, in pain and gasping for air, and had to be carried back to his room. At those times Hikaru would always yell, telling him how stupid he was; asking him what the hell he thought he was doing. It was nice that Hikaru cared.

  
    Then one day he made it all the way downstairs. A few days later he made it down and back up. From then on his improvement moved at a rapid pace. He began eating with the others again but he still slept in Hikaru's bed, unable to master the ladder to his bunk. The weeks went by, and a month and a half after the raid, Keito was sitting on the couch down stairs when Takaki, Ryutaro, and Yabu—who was dragging Yamada by the wrist—ran down the stairs, and out the door, yelling. Hikaru was close behind, and he scooped Keito up in his arms, exclaiming

  
    "C'mon! What're you sitting 'round here for?"

  
    "What's going on?" Keito yelled, and Hikaru struggled to get the door open with a Keito in his arms. "Put me down!" Keito exclaimed, as Hikaru wrenched the door open, and went out into the alley. Keito gasped when he saw what the commotion was all about.

  
    Yuto and Daiki were circling each other, both shirtless, determination and anger on their faces, and Keito knew Yuto had issued the challenge he had been training for. The other boys were already there, standing in a large, loose ring around the pair. Keito searched the faces,   
until he found Yamada. The short boy was watching, silent tears making their way down his cheeks, a look of horror screwing up his usually porcelain face.

 

    Then, Yuto attacked, socking Daiki in the face, nearly knocking him down. With a roar, Daiki rushed Yuto in a flurry of blows. Yuto dodged most, and jumped up, kicking Daiki in the chest and knocking him down for real this time, and it looked like Yuto had won. For a moment. Yuto leaned down and grabbed Daiki by the necklace around his neck, and Daiki grabbed the taller boy by his arms and slammed him to the ground, reversing their positions, and punched him in the face. Again. And again. Yuto’s blood dirtying his knuckles, as Yuto struggled and failed to get up.

 

    The necklace chain around Daiki's neck snapped in Yuto's hand. Finally a shout rang throughout the alley, and everyone froze. It was Yamada, who was crouched down, hunched over on the pavement, his hands gripping his sheathed katana as though if he squeezed it hard enough he could disappear. He slowly brought his eyes to where the two people he loved most had been beating each other, and everyone could see the tears streaming rapidly down his cheeks. His eyes, which had always expressed his feelings pretty openly, were letting them all see his heart tearing into little pieces, as this reality's ugly face was shoved in front of him.

  
    "Ryosuke." All of Daiki's fury was gone, now he was tender and concerned, and he made a move to go to Yamada. Yamada stood up, and backed away in small, wary steps. He shook his head, tears streaming from his eyes, and turned a pleading eye away from the two fighters to Chinen. Chinen nodded, and Yamada turned and ran, full out, down the alley and around a corner, disappearing into the twilight. As he disappeared from view the first snowflakes of the year began to fall in an early flurry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/5606.html


	10. Chapter 10

    Daiki leaned down, not even sparing Yuto a glance as he snatched the broken necklace from Yuto's fingers, before he spun around and went inside. No one dared to look the short boy in the face as he passed, afraid of what they might see. Yuto made no move to get up, his eyes shut, breathing shallow, and slowly tears squeezed out from his eyelids, rolling down his cheeks to the asphalt. In ones and twos they all walked away, scattering to process what had happened. Keito stayed.

  
    "Yuto." He said gently, crouching down. "Yuto, let's get all of this blood off you."

  
    Yuto nodded and pulled himself to his feet, slowly walking into the house. No one was downstairs. Keito got his roommate to the kitchen table and fetched the first aid kit. Then he gently washed all of the blood from Yuto's face and hands, and got to see the damage. A busted lip, a black eye, and an ugly looking bruise on his cheekbone decorated his face. Keito made a move to put ice on it, but Yuto shoved the pack away. Keito didn't try again.

  
    "I'll leave you be, if you want." He said, and when Yuto didn’t respond he left, opting to go back out into the alley. He walked over to where the fight had taken place, looking in the fading light at the blood stains. He wished someone would tell him everything would be okay. He wished Shoon was here.

  
    No. He cursed himself. Shoon betrayed the kumi and left. Shoon was bad. He tried to convince himself, but somewhere in a corner of his heart, he knew Shoon must have a good reason for what he had done, and the fact that he wasn't there assuring him that everything would be okay made Keitos heart ache. Despite a small voice in the back of his head protesting, he went to the end of the alley where he usually would wait for the short lawyer and sat, shivering in the snow, his breath coming out in puffs of smoke. He stared at the wall in front of him, and something white against the dark brick caught his attention. He stood back up, and walked over, picking a small piece of cardstock from between two bricks. A business card. He slipped it into his back pocket and sat back down, waiting as the moon rose overhead. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a frantic voice called out

  
    "KEITO?" He stood up, and brushed snow off of his numb arms.

  
    "Y-yes?" There was the sound of someone jogging up, and Inoo came into view.

  
    "Thank god.” He pulled Keito into a tight hug, and Keito winced. His ribs, although much better, were very tender. When Inoo finally pulled away, he began yelling.

  
    "What the hell are you doing out here with no coat this late? Why didn't you tell anyone where you were? Do you know how long we've been looking for you?! Fuck! They're about to have a heart attack! Hikaru is this—" Inoo put his thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart. "—close to calling the underlings for a full out search of the town, you stupid bastard!" As he said this he dragged Keito back inside the house, and the door slammed shut behind them.

  
    "I've got him!" Inoo yelled and suddenly everyone was there, hugging and yelling at him. Even Daiki and Yuto despite their conflict were there, both telling him off. Yuto cried again. Keito apologized multiple times, trying to hide the grin from his face. While he hadn’t meant to cause them distress, and he didn’t like making his housemates feel upset, this proved that he was loved, and important to them. It was nice. He finished assuring them, and after a time they dispersed, all but Hikaru, who hadn't approached with the others, instead standing back, letting them barrage him.

  
    "Hey." Keito mumbled, once they were left alone. Hikaru sighed.

  
    "You. You bastard. Are you trying to make me cra-" Hikaru started, but stopped, flopping on the couch, his face in his hands, obviously upset. Seeing this made Keito feel more guilty than the rest of the boys combined.

  
    "I'm sorry." he said, trying not to shiver, the snow on his clothes and hair had melted, and he was now freezing and wet.

  
    "I'm going to have to start keeping a closer watch on you, to maintain my sanity." Hikaru mumbled almost to himself, as he rubbed his eyes, and removed his palms from his face, his looking up and taking Keito in. He stood and began to talk again, stopping before anything coherent formed, and after standing there looking indecisive for a few moments he let out a noise of frustration.

  
    "Go. I forgive you. Stop looking at me like that." He said, pointing up the stairs. Keito did as he was told, changing and pulling the business card out of his pocket when he was alone in the bathroom; examining it. His heart leapt into his throat as he read the name on the card—Yamashita Shoon. His mind raced. Had Shoon put it there? He couldn't think of another explanation as to it's perfect placement. If he had, he would know that Keito would find it. Had Shoon  _ wanted _ him to find it? What if he wanted to meet? Keito felt a small bubble of hope, and almost instantaneously another bubble of dread settled in next to it in his heart, and he read the address, memorizing it. He examined the card as though it was a treasure, before flipping it over. There, handwritten in beautiful script were the words  _ Lunch break twelve-thirty to one-thirty. _

  
    Numb, he slipped the card into his wallet and exited the room, going to his own, but deciding to let Yuto have his own time alone tonight...until he realized he could hear nothing from the other side of the door. He opened it slowly. No Yuto. He went to go downstairs and nearly tripped over the lanky boy. He was fast asleep, curled up by the top of the stairs, his wallet open to a picture of Yamada laughing so hard his eyes nearly disappeared. The scene was pitiful. Keito quietly crept down the stairs and his eyes were drawn to the couch where Daiki was sitting, a roll of tape in his lap and a look of concentration on his face as he tried to mend the broken necklace.

  
    As Keito came down the steps the short boy looked up at him, acknowledging him before going back to his work. Keito sat down next to him.

  
    "How's that coming?" Daiki just frowned and shook his head.

  
    "I've gotta fix it. I can't let this break." His voice was strong, and a little desperate.

  
    "Ryosuke has one, it's a set. We bought them together on our anniversary. They're our promises to each other. It can't break." Keito took a closer look at the necklace. It was a delicate chain with a small silver skull hanging from it. He recognized it, he'd seen Yamada wearing a matching one constantly.

  
    "Here, let me try." He said, and Daiki gently passed him the chain. Yet, try as he might Keito couldn't fix the warped links. They ended up taping the pieces together, and Daiki stared at the scarred symbol of his love. Of his promise of love. Keito went up to bed late at night, leaving Daiki alone downstairs on the couch sitting, waiting.

  
    Yamada didn't come back that night.

  
    Or the night after that.

  
    Or the week after that.

  
    It was knowledge that he was nearby, staying in their territory, and that the Kumi-cho knew where he was and knew he was safe, but that was all. There was a tension in the house that was ever-present now. Daiki and Yuto avoided each other at all times, except during dinner. Life attempted to get back to normal; Takaki and Yabu still went clubbing, Ryutaro was swindling some rich girl, and Chinen spent lots of time in his office. Inoo however spent more time than ever with Daiki, even getting him to smile every once in awhile. Hikaru had—as he had said—kept a closer watch on Keito, who reported to him whenever he was going out, to avoid another freak out like the night after the fight. Meanwhile, Keito spent his days trying to get up the guts to go talk to Shoon.

 

    He took the time one day to find the address on the card. He almost went in too. Almost. Instead he sat around, watching people go in and out, watching until he saw the figure he had been waiting for. Yamashita Shoon looked as he always did, in his black business suit with his briefcase, an old looking blue scarf wrapped around his neck. Shoon didn't talk to anyone, didn't say much to the pretty ladies that tried to have a conversation with him, declined his coworkers offer to go out drinking, and left quickly, yet somehow managed not to seem rude. Keito found himself watching this scene almost every evening, always telling himself that he would go and talk to Shoon, and always failing at his goal; his fear taking over at the last second. 

 

    Hikaru noticed that Keito seemed to leave after dinner, and instead of being nosy, as Keito had expected, he simply would hand him his coat, and warn him not to get sick, or stay out too late.

  
    "Hey kid, you waiting for someone?" Keito jumped nearly a foot in the air, and spun around.        Shoon had managed to get behind him without him noticing. His first impulse was to run, but he fought it, and Shoon gave him a small, almost grim smile.

  
    "C'mon, I'll take you out, and answer all of your questions, okay?" He offered Keito a hand. Not sure what else to do Keito took it, and Shoon led him through the snowy streets to a little cafe. They sat, and Shoon called over a waiter, and ordered a black tea, a hot chocolate, and two fancy chocolate puddings. Keito didn't say a word, feeling very self conscious. Once their treats arrived, and Keito had tried some Shoon sighed, and said seriously

  
    "What do you want to know?" On the spot, Keito stumbled over his words.

  
    "Can you tell me—from the beginning? I mean—you—who are you?" He cursed himself. How was Shoon supposed to understand that? Shoon just sipped his tea, and nodded, jumping right into a story.

  
    "I was thirteen when I joined the Kitagawa Group. Our branch is a fairly new one; I, along with my three other companions: Yabu, Hikaru, and Taiyo started it. We were inseparable. Your father—then the Kanbu—came to us, and had us pick our leader; me. Then he mapped out what was now our territory, and we became the Heisei Kumi of the Kitagawa Yakuza Group. For years we lived in our home, and we amassed a group of underlings. The ones that proved to be the strongest of the group came to live with us in our house. Slowly we gathered more and more boys. Yuto came, followed by Daiki and Inoo. Takaki and then Yamada after the raid incident, and then at Takaki’s request Chinen joined us, almost immediately followed by Ryutaro. 

 

    “Then, just months after Ryu joined we lost Taiyo in a raid." Shoon stopped, his face cold, stony. "It was my fault. I was Kumi-cho, his life was my responsibility.” He paused, looking into his tea for a moment, before saying roughly “Six months later I prepared to leave the Kumi, and asked Hikaru to take over as Kumi-cho if I left. One night, I slipped out, and never returned." Keito was confused.

  
    "Is that why you left? Because of Taiyo’s death?" Shoon shook his head. "Then why? Why didn't you tell them anything?" Shoon examined his reflection in his tea, his controlled tone in harsh contrast to Keito’s high emotions.

  
    "I had an annual doctor appointment a couple of months after Taiyo's funeral. I told him about the awful headaches I had been having, and the weaknesses I had been feeling, and after some questions he decided to do a CT scan. They found a couple of unusual lumps, and after a MRI he told me that I had tumors in my parietal lobe. He said this could cause physical impairments, and advised me to get surgery as soon as possible. I didn't want to believe them and argued, but the doctor managed to convince me to let them drill hole in the side of my head and take a sample of one of the tumors."

  
      He ran his fingers through his hair, as though making sure his head was in one piece. Keito was horrified by the story, but Shoon didn't seem to notice, and continued.

  
    "A week later they called me back in, and informed me that I had at least one grade III glioma type tumor in my skull. Brain cancer.” He paused, sighing into his tea before continuing. Keito felt rather sick. “They said I would die if I didn't have the surgery. We set a date for the operation, and I secretly began to arrange for my departure. Then the day I was to be admitted I left like a ghost in the night. I knew what my leaving meant, and what my consequences would be, but I would rather them hate me, then put them through my oncoming battle."

  
    Keito's head was spinning, and he felt the warm chocolate churning in his stomach. Cancer. Brain cancer. The words echoed in his thoughts, looming over him with their foreboding meaning. However, the fact that Shoon was sitting there, across from him eased him greatly, and he managed to ask

  
    "Did you not trust them to stay with you? Did you not think they could handle your secret? I don't understand." Shoon looked surprised by the questions.

  
    "No! I trusted them with my life. I still do. I didn't trust myself. I didn't think I could handle looking into their faces and seeing their worry—their constant mental burden—and know that it was because of me that they had to suffer like that. Their knowing wouldn't change my fate; they couldn't do anything to change it, so I had no reason to tell them. I wanted to protect them. It seemed like the best way." Protect them. It was funny to think that people like Yabu and Hikaru needed to be protected. But then Keito thought of Hikaru’s reaction when they had thought he was gone, and understood what Shoon meant.

  
    "Now? What about now?"

  
    "I've had one relapse almost two years ago, but both times there were no complications with the surgeries, and at the moment I'm free, aside from the debt I owe to the hospital." Shoon said, reassuringly, putting a spoonful of pudding into his mouth. Keito nodded, falling quiet, and after a few moments Shoon spoke up again.

  
    "How are they?" Shoon asked gently. Keito looked into his nearly gone pudding.

  
    "They all hate you." He mumbled. Shoon nodded, a wistful look in his eye.

  
    "I know." They fell into a small silence.

  
    "Hey Keito...do you hate me?" The question caught Keito by surprise, and he thought about it. He should hate Shoon. He lied, and abandoned his friends in a time when a leader was essential. Besides, they beat him black and blue just for knowing Shoon. He should, for the Kumi, tell Shoon that he does hate him, and run out. He should. For the Kumi.

  
    "Y-yes. I hate you. Don't come see me anymore." Keito said, his voice growing stronger as the lie slipped out, his face arranged in a perfect, cold mask. Shoon didn't even blink. His beautiful moon eyes simply fixed themselves on Keito's face, and his hand gestured to the exit.

  
    "You don't have to stay in my presence any longer then. I said I'd take you out, and answer your questions. Our deal is through. You don't have to see me ever again.” There was a pause, the two of them looking at each other, before Shoon said coldly “Goodbye, Keito."

  
    Numb, Keito stood from the chair and pulled himself out of the cafe, wanting nothing better than to leave, picking up speed, until he was running flat out. Running as though if he ran away fast enough, he could lose the awful, ugly electricity that ran through him. The rippling sensations churning in his stomach. He ran blindly, and found himself back home. He slipped inside and attempted to pull his mask back over his face as he walked past Inoo to the couch, the older boy nodding to him as he went to bed for the night. Keito curled up on the couch, burying his face in his hands. 

 

    What had he done? Was it a good decision? He tried to convince himself that it was, but the little voice in his head wasn't presenting a good enough argument to erase the feeling in his chest. He stayed there awake until the sun began to rise, blessing him with the gift of sleep for a few, short hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/5689.html


	11. Chapter 11

    Keito woke suddenly, opening his eyes to find himself being sat on by Ryutaro.

  
    "Get up you lump. We're going shopping." Confused, Keito tried to figure out what the heck was going on.

  
    "Why?" Ryutaro looked at him like he had the intelligence of a banana.

  
    "Christmas is in a couple of weeks." Oh yeah, Christmas. Keito got dressed and ate quickly, and he, Ryutaro, and Yuto set off to get perfect Christmas presents. They wandered the shops searching through all sorts of knickknacks. They looked at jewelry, books, games, weapons, clothes, and food. Yuto wouldn't decide on anything, before finally getting an amazingly delicate glass replica of a cherry tree in a jewelry shop, refusing to say who it was for. Keito hoped Yamada would return in time to receive Yuto’s carefully picked Christmas present. Ryutaro meanwhile, was a simple shopper. He left them at one point, returning with a small bag. Yuto ever-curious couldn't help but ask.

  
    "What'd you get Ryu?"

  
    "Chocolate spread." Ryutaro replied, deadpan, refusing to prove or deny the bombardment of questions concerning who he was giving it to, and what it's use would be.

  
    The shopping took up the whole day, and by the end of it Keito had what he hoped would be satisfactory presents for everyone. They were on their way home, when something in a window caught his eye. A navy blue scarf, knitted with the image of a cup of tea, the steam twisting out of the cup, and scattering into snowflakes. Five minutes later the scarf was folded in a bag, his final purchase of the day. The three of them returned home to find a huge tree taking up a third of the living room, the older five boys talking and hanging sparkly trinkets on its branches.

  
    "Guys where've you been all day? Come join us." Takaki called, and Yuto dragged Keito over to the tree where Hikaru met him with a smile, handing him an ornament.

  
    "Here. Use this one."

  
    The tree decorating was fun. They finished, and had dinner, Keito hiding his shopping bags in the closet he and Yuto shared before going to bed that night. He lay there thinking to himself about that scarf, and what he was going to do with it. It was a perfect gift for Shoon, but...he was not supposed to have any contact with Shoon. He’d cut off all ties with Shoon forever. He shouldn't be giving him a Christmas present. He sighed—annoyed with himself—and rolled over, facing the wall. He was pulled from his thoughts and a slight sniffling noise caught his attention. He sat up, attempting to sneak a peek into Yuto's bunk below and nearly fell out of bed, fumbling and catching himself halfway, making loud noises in the process. So much for sneakiness; Yuto was now staring at him, a look on his face that said  _ what are you doing, you crazy ass? _

  
    "Sorry." Keito apologized, embarrassed. He hopped down to the floor and noticed the tear trails down Yuto's cheeks. His friend had been crying. Shit. He reached out and brushed off the tears, Yuto blinking up at him, just how distraught he was all over his face. "He'll be back." Keito whispered. Yuto looked down at his hands, eyes still watery.

  
    "It's my fault he's gone...he-he'd still be here; but I had to be stupid and drive him away." Yuto’s voice was shaking.

  
    "What if he hates me?"

  
    Yuto looked scared and distraught. Keito pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him tightly, allowing Yuto to cry on his shoulder for a minute.

  
    "It will be alright." He whispered, as Yuto’s tears rolled onto his bare shoulder dripping down his back until finally, the skinny boy cried himself to sleep.

  
    The days flew by in flurries of wrapping presents, staying inside, and trying not to think of Shoon, until one night a week before Christmas Eve. Everyone was sitting around in the living room enjoying the Christmas tree and talking when suddenly the door flew open in a gust of wind and snow and a figure stepped in, quickly shutting the door behind himself. The boy was short with dyed hair, and a sheathed katana in one hand—Yamada was back. Everyone looked up, surprised. Even the Kumi-cho didn't seem to have known Yamada was returning tonight. Keito searched Yamada's face for a hint of the boy’s state. He looked exhausted, cold, and conflicted. Keito's eyes wandered down his face to his neck, where a small chain with a tiny skull hung. Simple, yet it spoke of his decision.

  
    "Hi." Ryutaro said, standing up, a rare smile spreading across his face.

  
    "Hi." Yamada responded, and Ryu gripped him in a hug. That action might have been more surprising than Yamada's return. It broke a layer of the tension that had filled the room, and soon most of the others welcomed their companion back, giving him encouraging smiles and hugs. Once that was completed, Yamada turned to Yuto and spoke in a slow, desperate voice.

  
   "Yuto...you are one of the most important people in my life. I love you. You were my first love, and...I don't want to lose you. I will never leave your side again...if you will let me stay here as a brother." Tears fell from Yamada's eyes and he wiped furiously at them, staring fiercely into Yuto's face. Yuto got up from the couch, walking forward until he and Yamada were only a couple of centimeters apart. In one quick sudden movement Yuto leaned forward, kissing Yamada on the lips, and an involuntary gasp fell from Keito's mouth. After a lingering moment Yuto pulled away, and wiped a tear from Yamada's cheek.

  
    "I will never do anything again. I will love you from now on as my precious new brother. Just...never leave again." Yuto whispered, wrapping Yamada's smaller form in a tight hug. Tears of relief sprung from Yamada's eyes, and muttered ‘thank you’s fell from his lips. Finally, Yuto pulled back, and Daiki was left standing there. He and Yamada stood facing each other, taking each other in quietly. After a long silence Daiki's face broke out in a huge grin, and he stepped out to pull Yamada into his arms, picking the younger boy up in his hug.

  
    "I love you." Daiki murmured. "I love you so much." They stayed like that for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/6124.html   
> Also this chapter is only 1k, wtf was I thinking.


	12. Chapter 12

    Once the initial wave of excitement was over Yamada disappeared into the Kumi-cho's office, and it was about half an hour before the room spit him back out and into Daiki's arms.

  
    The next day Chinen called a meeting right after breakfast, everyone running to the dining room table and taking their seats, looks of wonder on their faces. Keito sat between Yuto and Hikaru as usual, and after a pause Chinen spoke.

  
    "I have received a report that there has been a civilian in our territory selling illegal narcotics. From now on, our goal is to find this person, and deal with him. Understood?"

  
    "Yes, Kumi-cho." Echoed from everyone's mouths.

  
    "Good. He's been described as being one hundred seventy-five centimeters tall, blonde hair, college age. He most likely only operates at night. I've already put the underlings on a casual search; it'll only be a matter of time. That is all."

  
    Aside from this slightly foreboding new development, the rest of the week went by in a flurry of snowstorms, presents piling up under the tree, Yamada and Daiki cuddling on the couch, warm meals, and Keito arguing with himself over Shoon's present. Usually, he would simply decide on something, and then go do it, but this wasn't a simple decision. Keito was sitting on the couch with Yamada and Daiki, undergoing one of his little personal battles, when Yamada frowned.

  
    "Dai-chan, your necklace...what happened?"

  
    Keito watched as Daiki handed Yamada the little chain, explaining that it broke, and he couldn't fix it.

  
    "Let me try." Yamada mumbled, pulling the tape off of the links. His fingers toyed nimbly with the chain, and within seconds he had it looking as good as new, handing it back to Daiki, a small competitive smile on his lips. Keito was surprised.

  
    "Um...can I ask, why did you pick skulls for your anniversary presents? I've been thinking about it, but I can't figure it out." Daiki glanced up at him, a smirk on his lips.

  
    "It's because we promise to love each other until we die and become skeletons." He told Keito, as he attached his necklace back around his own neck. Keito blinked in surprise at the morbid twist on such a romantic concept, spared from response by Hikaru coming in to join them. Hikaru flopped down on the couch, slipping his tattooed arm around Keito's shoulders comfortably, changing the topic and putting everyone in a good mood before they all went to bed.

 

    The next morning Keito was woken by Yuto, who was topless and had donned a fluffy red Santa hat that matched his tattoo, and a grin.

  
    "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The skinny boy yelled, dragging Keito out of bed and downstairs where coffee, doughnuts, and half awake housemates were all sitting. ‘Good morning’s and ‘Merry Christmas’s were exchanged, and they all handed out their presents. One by one Keito passed his out, until all nine of the other boys had a gift from him in their laps.

  
    "You got everyone something?" Inoo’s question confused him, but he nodded.  "You didn't have to, ya know." Oh. Oh well.

  
    Keito got all sorts of wonderful things; a new guitar case from Yuto, a hat from Yamada, a good luck charm from Chinen, and a necklace from Hikaru—a black guitar pick dangling from a silver chain. He was picking up his torn wrapping paper, when a whine of complaint from Inoo caught his attention.

  
    "You bastards did this on purpose." The older boy said, staring at the gifts in his lap. Four different cases of girls hair bows were there, each with a different name on the ‘from’ tags. Hikaru, Yabu, Takaki, and Daiki all burst out laughing, and Hikaru picked out a bow, clipping it in Inoo's silky hair.

  
    "Gangster." Ryutaro said, laughing.

  
    "You wanna spend the night with me, miss?" Takaki said, putting an arm around Inoo's waist, causing everyone to giggle. Inoo slapped him away, trying to be mad.

  
    "We can't let the underlings find out about this. I'll never live this one down." Keito and Yabu picked up all of the trash, and everyone spent the day laying around talking, sleeping, and eating.  At some point they all started playing a massive card game, and the games continued until dinner time, during which Yuto and Yamada disappeared, only returning for the Christmas cake.

  
    "Okay, I'm positive you guys did not have piercings this morning." Takaki said, as soon as they walked in.

  
    "It's my Christmas present to Yuto." Yamada said, tilting his head, and putting his ear next to Yuto's for everyone to see. Little silver loops with a delicate sakura blossom dangling from each of them now adorned the two boys right ears. It was cute, Keito thought.

  
    After dinner he snuck out, Shoon's present hidden in his coat, and wandered the streets until he found himself at Shoon's office building, feeling frustrated. What the hell was he doing? Shoon wouldn't be there, it was Christmas. Besides, he wasn't even able to give this to him in the first place. He left the parcel on a bench outside of the office, ignoring the weird hollow feeling that pressed in his chest when he abandoned the gift and returning to the house, stopping on the way back at a conbini for some strawberry milk as his excuse for going out, cursing himself for his stupidity about the whole ordeal.

  
    That night as he and Yuto were sharing the bathroom, both boys brushing their teeth, he caught Yuto admiring his new earring in the mirror and he smiled a bit to himself. Everything had worked out remarkably well in that love mess. They all still had each other, and if anything their bonds were stronger now than before. It was remarkable, and amazingly lucky, that they all had such big hearts. Keito noticed his own new jewelry, the present from Hikaru, in the mirror. He liked it a lot, the black pick standing out against his pale skin, like a black heart. Yuto too noticed the pick.

  
     "He doesn't usually give Christmas presents to new people, ya know. Yamada and Daiki have never gotten something from him. You're special." Yuto’s face gained a mischievous smile. "I think he likes you." Keito spewed toothpaste.

  
    "Wh-what?! No." Yuto sighed, sitting on the counter, and leaning against the mirror.

  
    "Sure. He's really nice to you, and hangs out with you, and gives you presents. Who else does he do that for?"

  
    "Yabu." Keito voiced immediately, trying to prove Yuto wrong.

  
    "He and Yabu have been as good as brothers for over ten years. Of course he's nice to Yabu. That one doesn't count."

  
    Keito fell silent. Hikaru was very nice to him, but...he just didn't think Yuto was correct. It just didn't make sense that Hikaru would like him. He didn't see it. He dismissed it—Yuto was imagining things. After deciding that he went to bed, falling asleep only after forcing thoughts of Shoon's gift getting ruined and thrown into the trash by a random citizen out of his mind.   
A week later on the last day of the year, during dinner Chinen got a call. He answered the phone there at the table, listening and only saying a quick ‘Good work.’ before hanging up, and turning to Hikaru.

  
    "Deal with the problem tonight after the meal. Ikegura Dock. Here's one of the Glocks." He slid a handgun down the length of the table. "Do you want anyone to go with you?" Silently, Hikaru shook his head, slipping the gun into his waistband and continuing to eat without blinking an eye. No one else seemed to really notice the exchange, continuing to eat and chat as usual. Keito watched Hikaru, confused. What was it he was going to go do? What problem? After dinner Hikaru immediately went upstairs, returning in a nice suit, the gun hidden somewhere on his person. With a small nod to Yabu, he left. Seeing his chance, Keito asked Ryutaro, who was closest

  
    "Where's Hikaru going?" Ryutaro didn't look up from his manga.

  
    "Ikegura Dock."

  
    "Why?" Now Ryutaro did look up, eyes sweeping over Keito, assessing him. Seeing if he was serious.

  
    "He's going to go take care of that drug dealer. The one Yama-chan reported." Keito nodded. Okay.

 

    "So, he's gonna beat him up? Tell him to leave?" Ryutaro gave him another look.

  
    "No, you fool. He's gonna shoot him in the head." Oh shit.

  
    Ryutaro went back to reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/6396.html


	13. Chapter 13

    All of a sudden their—his―reality was thrown back in his face, as though woken up from a dream. He had stopped being scared of them. He had stopped thinking of them as bad people that did horrible things and started thinking of them as his family. They were people to love and hang out with. Good people. That's what they had become. But in the eyes of the rest of the world they were scum, murderers, people that should be imprisoned or killed. They did awful things.  Swindling. Extortion. Shootings. They—no, we—he corrected himself. We are criminals and murderers. Hikaru is going to go and shoot this man, and it is nothing shocking. It is normal, and should be expected.

  
     At least that's what he told himself. His heart didn't believe it. He grabbed his coat and ran out of the house. He had heard of Ikegura Dock. It was small and abandoned, surrounded by old empty buildings. He ran through the snow, through winding streets, past civilians, through the night, slowing as he neared his destination, quietly slipping into a building, climbing up metal stairs, to the roof, from which he could see, from the light of the moon, Hikaru and another figure—someone with blonde hair wearing a heavy coat. They were ten to fifteen paces away from each other, talking to quietly for Keito to hear.

 

    Suddenly, Hikaru pulled out the gun, and the click of it being cocked being released echoed into the night. The man backed away a bit, and Hikaru barked something, causing him to turn to flee. He never got the chance. A shot was fired, catching him in the leg, sending him to the gravel with a yell. Slowly, Hikaru walked over to him, and the man let out a scream of horror before Hikaru put the gun to his head, and pulled the trigger. The man fell limp. Dead.

  
    Keito turned away and vomited, eyes on the concrete floor as he tried to regain himself. A loud splash sound caught his attention, and he turned to see that Hikaru was now standing at the end of one of the docks, a trail of blood tracing his path, large sets of ripples emitting from a spot at the end of the dock. The man was gone. Dealt with. Suddenly a crackle was heard, and color rained from the sky. Fireworks. A festival. Keito checked the time. Midnight. It was a new year.

  
    Silently Keito slipped out of the building and away from the dock, back home without anyone noticing. Yuto tried to talk to him but he couldn't look at his tall housemate, ignoring him and running upstairs to a closet, hiding himself in there. He was shaking. Crying. His mind was numb, empty of words or comprehensible feelings, leaving only the sounds of the gun andthe man's final scream resounding over and over. He felt numb.

  
    He felt ill.

  
    He felt betrayed.

  
    Disgusted.

  
    Broken.

  
    There in the closet he became disillusioned once more as he tortured himself with the scene of the murder. The torture lasted for hours, until the door to his own personal hell hole was opened, and a light was let in. Hikaru was standing there, his hand outstretched toward Keito; the same hand that had been used only hours before to take another man's life. Keito shrunk away, unable to look Hikaru in the eye. Hikaru stepped into the closet and shut the door, sitting down across from Keito in the darkness.

  
    "This is my spot, brat." Hikaru's voice was a mere breath. There was a long moment of silence, then in the darkness, Hikaru cried. He was silent, but his heavy, shaking breaths were a requiem for the man he had killed. A plea. He cried for what felt like hours, his emotions lain out in the blackness for only Keito to see. Keito found himself crying again, witnessing the repentance, and forgiving Hikaru, joining Hikaru in his grief. The choice to forgive was made without any conscious decision, as though he had to forgive Hikaru if he was to keep on living.

  
    "It'll be okay." He leaned forward, and in the darkness he gently wiped a tear from Hikaru's cheek. There, in the closet, through the tears and the dark, a bond was made. Something without a name. Something strong and binding and lifelong. Keito would never forget tonight.

  
    "Good morning." Hikaru's tone was different than Keito had ever heard before.

  
Keito mumbled a barely audible "Good morning." in response, feeling self conscious and quickly shoving more rice in his mouth. Takaki giggled.

  
   "Did you two fuck or something last night?" The brunette asked, looking between Keito and Hikaru. Hikaru choked on his rice at the statement.

  
    "NO!"Takaki wasn't buying it.

  
    "Something's different." Inoo walked in, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

  
    "Kei, let's get your opinion." Takaki said, catching the pouty lipped boy’s attention.

  
    "Did they sleep together last night?" Takaki gestured to Hikaru and Keito. Inoo looked at them scrutinizingly, head slightly more forward than usual.

  
    "Something happened. I dunno about sex though...didn't hear anything." Inoo assessed, wandering over to the rice cooker. Both of Hikaru and Keito stayed silent, sharing their secret in the silence, almost telepathic. Takaki took a consensus, and at the end of the day it was declared that Hikaru and Keito had slept together, much to Hikaru's apparent amusement. Keito however, was mortified. Sex? He'd only ever been kissed once, and that barely even counted! He told Hikaru this after dinner, once Takaki and Yabu had stopped teasing and left them alone.

  
    "You've never done it? You've only ever even been kissed once?" Hikaru said, surprised. Now Keito felt like an idiot. Hikaru leaned back on the couch, thinking about this, before sitting up suddenly. "Hey! That was  _ my _ kiss! Whadaya mean it barely even counts?!" Keito shrank back.

  
    "I-I mean...well..."

  
    "Do you want me to give you a kiss that counts?" Hikaru threatened, leaning in so closely that their noses bumped. Keito jerked himself off of the couch, standing up.

  
    "G-goodnight!" He blurted out, turning to go up the stairs before tripping over something and landing a couple of stairs up, on top of Yuto. The boy had obviously been eavesdropping. Both embarrassed, they wordlessly scrambled to their feet, tromping up the stairs to their room. Once they had reached it, Yuto giggled.

  
    "Told ‘ya he likes you, Mister. Oblivious."

  
    "You're wrong." Keito said, quickly changing into his pajamas.

  
    "I am soooo  _ not _ wrong! He just nearly kissed you!"

  
    "He was just trying to scare me, that's all." Keito insisted. Yuto rolled his eyes.

  
    "You're impossible."

  
    The days continued in this fashion and weeks went by without much excitement. Everyone was getting a little restless. They all expected the Wakaba to have retaliated for their raid before now, and the anticipation was building. One of these nights when it was particularly bad, Keito offered to cook dinner to keep himself busy. He had just finished cooking, and was in the process of calling everyone to eat when the door slammed open, and a figure carrying two smaller bodies burst in. Keito let out a small yelp of surprise, his eyes immediately recognizing one of the limp, bloody boys draped over the man's shoulders; Ryutaro. He ran over, eyes traveling to the man that was carrying his housemate. The familiar face of Yamashita Shoon looked back at him. A shiver ran down his spine.

  
    "Morimoto!" The others were all in the room now, clearing the table and lifting the unconscious boys off of Shoon. As soon as his arms were free Takaki and Chinen forced Shoon into a kitchen chair, and bound him there tightly with rope. All the while asking him what the hell he was doing there. Shoon didn't resist or say a word, just sitting quietly, eyes focused on the small boys on the table.

  
    "Keito, clean Shintaro's wounds, let's see how bad they are. Yuto, do the same for Ryu. Daiki, gauze and two threaded needles please. Inoo, ice packs. Yabu, peroxide." Hikaru’s voice rang out efficiently. Keito grabbed a damp washcloth and—assuming Shintaro was the smaller boy—went over to him, gently wiping off his face, before pulling off his bloodied shirt and beginning on his chest wounds. He looked over the boys face. He was so young, barely a teenager. Was he one of the underlings? Was it common for them to be this young? This tiny and innocent looking? Yuto glanced over, catching Keito's eye.

  
    "He's Ryu's little brother. He's fourteen. His name is Shintaro. They were going to go out to dinner tonight. It had been a while...Shin-chan used to come over all of the time. He was gonna move in with us soon, but then you came." As Yuto said this,  Ryutaro began showing signs of consciousness, his eyes cracking open, and a hand reaching out, searching.

  
    "Shin..."

  
    Chinen crawled up onto the table, pulling Ryu's head into his lap, brushing his bangs out of the taller boys eyes, and gently saying

  
    "It's okay, he's here. You're home now...It's going to be okay."

  
    Keito felt awkward and self conscious; he was the only one that knew about Ryutaro and the Kumi-cho's relationship. Seeing Ryu like this and not being able to at least give him a comforting kiss must be awful for Chinen. Yet the younger boy managed to hold himself together, asking in a businesslike way

  
    "What happened?"

  
    Ryutaro watched Hikaru tend to Shintaro silently for a bit, mulling over his answer. Keito swept the room for something aside from the two battered boys on the table to focus on, and his eyes caught on something white and twisting. Shoon's scarf had a teacup on it, the steam from the hit tea rising out of the cup and twisting up the scarf, before scattering into snowflakes. His Christmas present.  _ But, how—? _ His train of thought was interrupted by Ryutaro's story.

  
    "We were on our way to the restaurant when some of the Wakaba bastards surrounded us. Five of them: the two brothers, Koji, Mirai, and Haruma. They taunted and asked for a fight but I told them to leave us the hell alone...I didn't want to ruin our dinner plans. But then...then they threatened Shintaro, so I lunged at them. Eventually that foolish brat got dragged into the fight too, 'cuz he didn't run when I told him to...I don't remember much after that..." Ryu looked into Chinen's face, and whispered weakly

  
    "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to beat them." A soft moan alerted them to Shintaro, who was coming to consciousness. Slowly, the small boy opened his eyes. He immediately asked

  
    "Brother...?"Ryutaro turned to look at his little brother's face.

  
    "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Shin."

  
Shintaro broke out into a smile.

  
    "Brother you're okay! Thank god."

  
_ This kid is so pure _ . Keito thought, amazed. Inoo slammed his fist down on the counter in anger.

  
    "Koji and Mirai huh?!" He sent a glance Hikaru's way, and his tattooed housemate nodded, an agreement going between them. Suddenly, a loud noise turned everyone's attention to Yuto, who had been moved to tears, and was now sobbing, tears rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto the table.

  
    "Are you crying?!" Takaki said in amazement, and Yuto shook his head furiously, denying the existence of the tears cascading down his cheeks.

  
   "Yuto, don't cry!" Yabu’s voice was light and teasing, and it broke the tension. Within a few minutes the Morimoto brothers were taken upstairs and put to rest in Yamada and Daiki's large bed, both boys falling asleep almost immediately. Once Ryu and Shin were taken care of Chinen became serious. He ordered everyone but Yabu and Hikaru out of the kitchen, his focus on Shoon. Gravely, they all filed out, Yuto, Daiki, Yamada, and Keito staying at the top of the stairs, trying to eavesdrop. Although they couldn't make out any of what was said, they could tell by the voices that everyone's emotions were running high. The interrogation lasted a long time, Yamada eventually falling asleep in Daiki's lap. At one point a thud was heard, followed by an even louder crash, and some indistinct yelling by Yabu. Daiki sighed.

  
    "They hit him."

  
    The knot in Keito's stomach added an extra loop to it's complicated sequence, making him feel nauseous. He prayed for Shoon's safety, hoping that somehow everything would be okay; finally letting himself acknowledge just how much the older man meant to him. Late in the night Yabu ran up the stairs calling an emergency meeting. Everyone was in the kitchen within a matter of seconds. Shoon was still there, untied and sitting at the table, sipping a bowl of the miso soup that was supposed to have been for dinner. He was now sporting a purplish bruise on his left cheekbone. Hikaru was standing behind him, a hand on his shoulder, and a stern look in his eye; protecting the short man.

  
    A bubble of hope rose in Keito's chest when he saw this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/6624.html


	14. Chapter 14

    "Kumi-cho?" Inoo asked as he walked in. Both Chinen and Shoon looked over at him. Chinen sent Shoon a look, who simply bowed his head in acknowledgement and returned his attention to his soup. Once everyone had arrived and was calm—a few of them had nearly attacked Shoon when they noticed that he was still there—Chinen began talking. He explained that Shoon had rescued Ryutaro and Shintaro, and had taken it upon himself to bring the two boys home. Chinen continued on to say that he had talked with Shoon about why he had left the Kumi and stepped down as Kumi-cho. Chinen said that he understood, and had forgiven Shoon. 

 

    This declaration was met with some furious glances Shoon's way. All backed down when they met Yabu and Hikaru's stony glares. With a nod from Chinen, Shoon began to explain to them why he had left, telling them what he had told Keito that day in the cafe, and answering all of their questions patiently. He begged them to understand, and apologized, and one by one the fury and hatred faded from their eyes. Once his story was completed, everyone sat there in silence for a moment, before Chinen spoke up once more. 

 

    He announced that Shoon was to play an important role in the future of their Kumi, and that he was returning, not as a Kumi-cho, but as a middle man of sorts. He was going to keep his job as a lawyer, and from his position help keep their existence undercover, get their Kumi more involved in a good way with their territory's important leaders of society, and provide them with information about their enemies. He would still be living in his apartment, but would often be visiting to make reports, therefore they would be seeing a lot of him.

  
    It was too good to be true.

  
    They all stayed up eating and talking, becoming reintroduced to Shoon, telling him about what they had been up to, reminiscing, and apologizing. Keito just watched in silence, amazed. It was everything he had wished for. Late into the night, Shoon approached him, sitting next to him on the couch. Keito looked down at his lap, uncomfortable.

  
    "So...still hate me?" Shoon asked gently. A blush spread across Keito's cheeks.

  
    "I-I never hated you." He admitted. Shoon smiled, fingering his scarf.

  
    "I know. This...it's from you, isn't it?" Keito looked up in surprise.

  
    "How...?"

  
    Shoon gave him a big grin, and chuckled before standing up and announcing that he was going to leave for the night, but would check in soon to see how the Morimoto's were doing. Everyone said their goodbyes, Hikaru giving Shoon a big, lingering hug. No one wanted him to go. Keito just sat there silently, watching. As Shoon left he suddenly felt lonely, despite all of his companions. Sharing Shoon was going to take some getting used to.

  
    Seeing Shoon so much began to affect Keito in weird ways. He grew quieter whenever Shoon was there, butterflies in his chest, and caught himself staring at the beautiful young lawyer often. And whenever Shoon left, his goodbye always caught in his throat and ended up stuttered out. One night after Shoon left he and Yuto were sitting up in bed—chatting as had become habit with them—when Yuto asked

  
    "So Keito, when are you gonna confess that you like him?"

  
    "What?"

  
    "You know what I mean. You've finally fallen in love! Don't you want to tell him?" Yuto asked, leaning toward Keito, giggling.

  
    "I-I hadn't thought about it...I mean...I don't want to burden him...my feelings...I..." Keito floundered with the words.

  
    "I think he likes you too ya know." Yuto said with another giggle.

  
    "You do?"

  
Yuto nodded, a grin taking over his face.

  
    "Just do it already! You won’t regret it."

  
    Confessing? The thought hadn't crossed Keito's mind. But if Yuto was right and  _ he _ did like him back then...but if he was wrong...no sense in pondering. He just needed to decide.   
It was during another, much more serious bedtime conversation when Yuto suddenly asked

  
    "Keito, will you come with me to the cemetery tomorrow?"

  
    "Sure, but why are you going to the cemetery?" Keito agreed, rolling over in bed. Yuto was silent for a minute, before saying softly

  
    "It's the anniversary of Raiya's death tomorrow. I don't want to go alone."

  
    "Oh. Of course I'll go with you."

  
    "Thanks."

  
    "Yeah."

  
    "'Night."

  
    "Goodnight."

  
    The next morning was a sober one, Yuto and Keito coming downstairs in the black suits they had worn to Johnny's funeral. To their surprise Yamada too was in his black suit, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a comforting look in his eyes.

  
    "I'm going too." He said, looking up into Yuto's face. Yuto nodded, and let out a small 

 

    "Thank you." The three of them left the house, Yuto leading them down a couple of streets to a black limousine that was waiting for them. The drive to the cemetery was a silent one, Yuto struggling to keep his emotions in check; staring out the window in an almost blank manner at the overcast sky—a reflection of his grief.

  
    When they reached their destination Yamada led the way to the grave, an awful look twisting Yuto's face as he followed the familiar path through the maze of other graves to his brother's final resting place. They cleaned the grave, and decorated it with the flowers Yamada had brought, Keito keeping a close eye on Yuto. He was distraught, silent tears streaming down his face as they worked. Once there was nothing else to do they stood looking at the grave for a moment, before Yuto completely broke down. Keito pulled his friend to him, wrapping him in a hug, silently trying to protect him; to assure him. Yamada too was crying softly, wiping his tears from his cheeks hurriedly so that Yuto wouldn't see. 

 

    Slowly, they made their way back to the car, Yuto mumbling apologies as they did. Keito kept an arm draped comfortingly over his skinny friends shoulders, telling him that he didn't have anything to apologize for. Yamada held Yuto's hand, occasionally reaching up and brushing the tear droplets off of Yuto's chin, leaving his own where they were. When they arrived back home Yuto promptly changed out of his suit and fell asleep, drained from the emotional roller coaster he had put himself through. Keito too changed, going past Yamada and Daiki—who were kissing sweetly just outside their bedroom door, Yamada's way of calming himself Keito assumed—and downstairs, flopping on the couch. 

 

    He too was upset by the grave visit. But he didn't have anyone to cheer him up so he just sat there wallowing in his melancholy until Shoon walked in, taking off his coat and sitting next to Keito on the couch.

  
    "Hey. How is everyone?" Shoon asked, his tone hesitant, as though he already knew the answer.

  
    "Don't you have work today?" Keito asked, instead of responding. It was barely past lunch time.

  
    "I took the day off...It's Raiya's death day, I figured I would be of better use here." Shoon explained. Keito nodded, feeling weary.

  
    "Who went this year? Yuto, and Yamada?" Shoon asked, sitting down on the couch next to Keito. He nodded, and added

  
    "I went with them."

  
    Shoon's big eyes flashed in understanding, and he stood up, pulling Keito into the kitchen, where he took off his business shirt, revealing his amazing tattooed back, and began cooking. Soon, a hot bowl of miso soup was sitting in front of Keito.

  
    "Eat; you'll feel better. I would always be drained after that visit." Keito ate silently, the soup warming his insides, and making him feel much better. He hadn't eaten yet that day. Shoon sat with him, playing friendly games of cards and chatting for hours, keeping him from wandering off and getting depressed, but also not forcing him to do anything that would be straining in any way. It was exactly what Keito needed. Then when dinner was announced Shoon declared he wouldn't impose, and when no one was looking he pulled Keito into a sudden hug, kissing him gently on the cheek, before exiting the house. He left Keito standing alone, his heart palpitating rapidly in his chest, fighting down a blush that was bound to turn him bright red.

  
    Keito had a hard time falling asleep that night, one big question keeping him up thinking late into the night.

  
_ Why? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/6674.html


	15. Chapter 15

    He didn't see Shoon for a couple of days, the young man busy with his work after taking off for Raiya's death day. When he finally did see Shoon again there was never a good time to ask; the handsome man always talking with one or multiple of the other boys, or playing cards or mahjong with them. This continued for almost a week, until one night Keito followed him after he left, racing down the alley and grabbing his hand, stopping him. Shoon turned around surprised.

  
    "Keito. What is it?"

  
    "Why did you...the kiss...?" He gestured to his cheek. Shoon looked at him confused for a second.

  
    "That's what you followed me for?" Keito nodded, determined to have his question answered. Shoon looked up at him, eyes searching Keito's face, his expression calm and mildly curious, as he asked "Why is it such a big deal?" Keito stopped, the determination wavering inside him. "You tell me that, and I'll tell you why I kissed your cheek." They stood in silence for a minute or more, before Shoon sighed, and said "I'm sorry, but I have to go home now. I have work in the morning to prepare for. Goodnight, Keito."

  
    Keito stood there, and watched Shoon leave, feeling stupid. He avoided Shoon for days after that, making up his mind. Finally one morning he bundled up and made his way to Shoon's work, catching the older man as he was about to enter the building. He grabbed Shoon be the sleeve of his coat, spinning him around, and he felt his heart in his throat as he spoke.

  
    "It's a big deal...because I love you." Keito said, before he could talk himself out of it. Shoon stood there blinking for a second, processing what Keito had said. It was completely out of the blue. All the while Keito got more and more nervous, more and more self conscious, more and more sure that he had just done something idiotic. Then everything seemed to click in Shoon’s head and he leaned toward Keito, suddenly kissing him right there, as his coworkers walked in and out of the building, as people they didn't know gasped and pointed. He pulled away, his big doe eyes emitting happiness, and he murmured

  
    "I kissed you because I love you."

  
    Keito went home feeling as though nothing could go wrong. The world was perfect today. That is, until he opened the door, and was thrown back to reality with the sound of an unfamiliar voice shouting crude words at the top of  _ her _ lungs. Shidai Mirai and Seto Koji were in the living room bound to kitchen chairs, and furious. Hikaru and Inoo were sitting on the couch, watching them, matching triumphant looks on their faces. It was easy to piece together what had happened. 

  
    "Hey Keito." Hikaru called out, as though this was a normal occurrence. Keito sent him a nod of acknowledgement and was about to ask why the Wakaba Kumi members were tied up in their living room, when Hikaru answered the unspoken question.

  
    "Revenge, for what they did to Ryu and Shin. We did a good job of repaying the favor, right? Everyone else is out, it's a surprise." A cold thrill of anxiety rang through Keito at that declaration, and he crossed the room, about to go upstairs and hang up his coat when  Takaki and Chinen opened the door, saying their ‘I'm home’s before turning their attention to the two in the chairs. Shidai had finally fallen silent.

  
    "So this is where you two went this morning?" Takaki asked, flopping down next to Inoo and slipping his arm comfortably around his shoulders. Hikaru and Inoo nodded. Takaki swept his eyes over the hostages. Koji glared.

  
    "Once everyone's back home, we'll discuss what to do with them." Chinen decided, slipping off his shoes and meandering into the kitchen to make himself a snack. Shidai was whispering insults now, glaring at Takaki. The tall brunette ignored her. One by one the rest of them all came home, all staying downstairs after their arrival, waiting for the meeting to begin. Koji remained silent, but Shidai had insults and scorn for all of them, her words not really doing much. Not until their last member came back from a date with his current target.

  
    "I’m back." Yamada called out, shutting the door quietly behind himself. The called out greetings from their housemates were drowned out by a shrill yell

  
    " _ Disgusting freak! _ " Shidai spat. By then everyone else was used to the insults she had been treating them to, but Yamada tensed up.

  
    "Nice hickey you’ve got there you  _ slut. _ " Shidai growled. Yamada's hand flew to his neck where sure enough a reddish-purple mark just under his jawbone shone out, new. "What, d'you go find another cock whore like yourself to get yourself fucked?" Shidai spat, glaring at him. "Shameless bastard; but you were always a little slut, weren't you?" Keito froze, confused. Shidai spoke like she knew Yamada, her insults pointed, hitting in a way the ones she’d used on the rest of them simply hadn’t. Keito could practically see the waves of harsh hatred emitting from Yamada's body.

  
    "Shut the hell up, bitch."

 

    "You were a slutty whore from day one; always ready for  _ his _ dick..." Shidai smirked. "But I'm sure you've told them all about that;  _ shameless _ . Maybe you even let them all in on the action?"

  
    "SHUT THE HELL UP!" Yamada yelled, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Keito looked around, everyone had fallen silent, all of them wide eyed with confusion, and Shidai seemed to notice, her eyebrows raising pointedly.

  
    "Oh, so you haven't told them? I'm sure they'd all like to know. Know what you let him—" Shidai's sentence was cut short when Yamada's fist connected with her jaw, sending her and the chair she was tied to crashing to the floor. Yamada turned to leave but Daiki stopped him, grabbing his wrist and swinging him around, forcing him to look at the older boy.

  
    "Ryosuke what's she talking about? What happened?" Daiki asked, fear and anger creeping into his voice. Yamada refused to look at him, his eyes fixed on his shoes.

  
    "Get those Wakaba bastards out of here." Chinen demanded, and Inoo, Takaki, and Hikaru did so, dragging them up the stairs and locking them in Hikaru's bedroom. The whole room was silent, everyone staring at Yamada. They had been shocked by how he had reacted to Shidai's jabs, and they were apprehensive, but set on knowing what she had been talking about, concerned. "Yamada, what the hell was that about?" Chinen demanded. Yamada was sobbing, the only thing keeping him standing was Daiki's grip on him, his eyes hidden under his bangs.

  
    "Yama-chan?" Yuto’s voice was gentle, but it just made Yamada sob harder.

  
    "I-it, she...I...he...I didn't... _ want _ to!" The words were barely coherent through his choking tears.

  
    "Shhhh, calm down." After a minute or so, the question was asked again

  
    "Yamada, what was she talking about?" Chest heaving, tears flowing, Yamada began to speak.

  
    "R-r-ryunosuke...he...b-back then—” 

 

    “Back when he kidnapped you?” Yabu asked, Yamada nodded, swallowing harshly.

 

    “He...when he wanted m-me to c-come with him...h-he said th-that he l-l-loved me...a-and I said that I d-didn't like h-him that way...a-and he s-said... _ th-then I'll ma-make you! _ A-and then h-he..." Yamada was now crouched on the floor, his arms wrapped around his knees.

  
    "What did he do? What did Kamiki do to you, Yama-chan?" Takaki asked, reaching out to touch the younger boy; but his hand was shoved away with a scared, panicked

 

    " _ DON'T TOUCH ME! _ " Takaki stood there shocked for a second. Yamada's sobs renewed full force, and after many choked apologies to Takaki, he managed to calm himself down enough to talk constantly once more.

  
    "He...h-he made...made me...I, I didn't want to! I told h-him NO...but, but...he...it's not my fault! I didn't want....I didn't...I...." Shocked looks ran through the other boys. Keito knew that he too must have a similar expression on his face. Their minds were rejecting the information. It was impossible, right? It was terrible, there was no way—Yamada was always so, so gentle, how could what was being implied be true? But Yamada wasn't finished. "W-when h-he finished....he...t-took me to their...and h-he t-tied m-me up...h-he s-said th-that he c-could...u-u-use me whenever h-he w-wanted...! And...he...he  _ d-did _ ."

  
_     Rape. _ Yamada had been Kamiki's sex slave. Wave after wave of horror washed over Keito, weighing him down, pulling at his head and joints, making his stomach burn and rip, his heart sinking through his body as pain and nausea swirled inside it. What Yamada said, and the tone with which he had said it, echoed over and over in his mind, each echo louder than the last. He was staring at his housemate he realized, and he turned his head away.

  
    "Ryosuke."Daiki crouched down, and sat next to Yamada. "Ryosuke." This time, Yamada slowly turned to look at his boyfriend, his eyes like those of a scared dog. Daiki opened his arms in a hug, and held them there, silently offering. Slowly Yamada moved forward, until he reached out and grabbed Daiki's shirt, clinging to it and burying his face in it as he shook with sobs. Daiki let his arms encircle the sobbing boy, pulling him closer, wrapping the bundle of a boy that he loved so much. Trying to give him comfort.

  
    "Meeting in..." Chinen checked his watch, looking strained "Forty-five minutes."

  
With that, their little Kumi-cho wandered off to his office, shutting the door behind him. Ryutaro watched him go, a fierce concern in his gaze. Silently they all dispersed, leaving Daiki and Yamada there in the entrance. Keito escaped to the closet—the same one he had been in on New Year’s. He just sat there, numb. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Hikaru was there, just like last time.

  
    "I wasn't kidding when I had said that this was my spot." the older boy said, pouting slightly. Keito got up, brushing past Hikaru, giving him his closet back with a mumbled 

 

   "Sorry." Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders, pulling him to Hikaru's chest. Keito froze. 

 

    "You okay?" Hikaru asked gently.

  
    "I'm fine."

  
    "Don't lie to me Keito. Are you okay?" He paused.

  
    "I'll  _ be _ okay." Hikaru rested his head on Keito's shoulder; and Keito's heart sped up in surprise.

  
    "Please, try not to be so upset. It hurts to see." Hikaru said, squeezing him tightly. "You know, you've become something precious for me. A reason for fighting on with my life. I'll never let you get hurt. Not like  _ that _ . Never. I'll die first." This statement was met with silence. Keito didn't know how to respond; so he didn't. Instead he stood there and let Hikaru hug him. Keito didn't know how long they stood there, frozen like that. He just stayed silent, listening to the beating of their hearts. Until there was the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

  
    "Hey Hikaru, the meeting's about to st—" Inoo froze when he caught sight of them, a shocked look on his face. Feeling awkward, Keito pulled himself out of Hikaru's arms, and Hikaru simply walked over to Inoo slinging an arm over his older companion’s shoulders and leaving Keito behind without looking back. After a moment Keito followed them to the kitchen, forcing himself not to think of what Hikaru had saidーdoneーand focus on the meeting the Kumi-cho had called. 

 

    He was one of the last to arrive; his eyes immediately flying to Yamada. No longer crying, he still looked shaken, as though being forced to remember the dark time period had put him through the traumatizing experience all over again. Keito hoped that it wasn't affecting him as much as he feared, silently sending out a small prayer on the short boy's behalf. His focus was pulled back into the situation at hand when the Kumi-cho started talking.

  
    "The current situation as we all know is that we are holding two Wakaba-Kumi members hostage—courtesy of Hikaru and Inoo—in retaliation for the beating they gave to our members Ryutaro and Shintaro. Now, due to this it is likely that within the next twenty-four hours the Wakaba will realize the situation and raid us in an attempt to rescue their comrades. I expect you all to be prepared for that." The small boy sent a glance Yamada's way. Yamada nodded, understanding that that comment had been directed at him. "Please prepare yourselves. Yabuーmake sure we are well stocked on medical supplies. That will be all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/7013.html


	16. Chapter 16

    Suddenly the front door opened and everyone tensed up, Ryutaro turning and throwing the knife he kept on his person at all times. The knife was caught by the handle deftly, and Shoon peeked out from behind the door.

  
    "Bad time?" He asked, closing the knife and tossing it back to Ryutaro. Everyone visibly relaxed. Keito felt a wave of happiness upon seeing ShoonーHIS Shoonー he couldn't help but smile when he thought of that.

  
    "I heard chatter that the Wakaba were talking about a raid tonight; thought I'd help. If that's okay?" He turned and looked at Chinen, asking permission. Chii nodded, and Shoon gave him a small bow of thanks, and everyone dismissed themselves. Shoon immediately went over to Keito, giving him a hug.

  
    "How're you? You look...something happened, didn't it?" The young lawyer said, pulling back and examining Keito's face. Keito nodded, going over to the couch and flopping down. Shoon put an arm over Keito's shoulders, and when no one was looking, he kissed him on the cheek. "What? Something with Yamada, right? He looked awful."

  
    "He...told us about what...happened...with Kamiki." Keito said, glancing at Shoon. He looked shocked.

  
    "He told you?!"

  
    "You already know?" Keito asked, back, just as shocked. Shoon nodded.

  
    "I was the one that found him all tied up, when we raided them. I pretended to think that he was one of them, so that taking him out of there would be justified. It was obvious what had happened to him; if you had seen him then... But I promised him I'd keep it a secret. I never thought he'd tell anyone." Suddenly, Shoon shifted, laying steadied out on the couch, and placing his head in Keito's lap. Keito blushed.

  
    "Hey, are you nervous about the raid tonight?" Shoon asked suddenly. Keito looked down at him and nodded slightly. He was. As soon as Chinen had mentioned the possibility of a raid, the inside of his stomach twisted inside of him, and dread took hold. Someone was going to get dreadfully hurt in a couple of hours. It was inescapable. "Come here, let me tell you something." Shoon said, and Keito leaned in, ready for Shoon's message. Instead, Shoon suddenly propped himself up on his elbows, pushing his lips to Keito's in their second kiss. He stayed there for a long time. When he finally pulled away affection glowed warmly in his eyes.

  
    "It's going to be okay, Keito. I'll protect you." He paused. "I'll protect everyone." He shut his eyes and pulled one of Keito's hands toward his hair, inviting him to play with it. Keito did, entwining his fingers delicately, running them through the silky locks. Eventually Shoon's breathing shallowed, and a peace fell across his face that Keito recognized as sleep. Keito sat there silently, watching him. He was so beautiful. All of him spoke of a traditional beauty, an inner strength and peace. Keito felt a little breathless looking at him. 

 

    No longer than forty-five minutes later Shoon was awake once more, and he apologized for dozing off on Keito like he had. Shortly afterwards they all ate dinner, which was much more tense than usual, not only due to the impending attack, but also due to the fact that everyone had an extra knife—or in Yamada's case, a full out katana—at their place at the table that they weren't going to use for eating. Conversation was kept to a minimum, and Yamada still looked awful. He stared at his plate dully, barely nibbling at his meal. Afterwards they all scattered back alone, Hikaru joining Keito and Shoon on the couch, an arm slung over Keito's shoulders. 

 

    Shoon didn't say anything, or give Hikaru any looks, but he did slip his hand into Keito's own, entwining their fingers, and causing Hikaru to give  _ him _ a look. Daiki walked by, and when he noticed their situation, he couldn't help but smile knowingly and send a wink Keito's way. Suddenly, Hikaru asked

  
    "Dai-chan...does that mean you two have never had sex?" He was serious, his face just slightly curious, not playful or teasing.

  
    "What?" Daiki wasn't expecting the question.

  
    "You and Yama-chan. You've been together for years. Everyone was sure you'd done it by now...but..."

  
    "Ryosuke and I haven't ever had sex." Daiki said as though Hikaru was asking a stupid question. "We make out sometimes, but that's all. He likes to cuddle...and he'll sometimes let me slip my hands up his shirt." Their short comrade informed them, shaking his head before making his way up the stairs. They watched him go, Hikaru adjusting his arm around Keito's shoulders. They sat like that, quiet, listening to each other breathing, each with their own thoughts. It grew dark and eventually, Keito fell asleep. He woke to Inoo tapping him on the shoulder.

  
    "I've drawn up a bit of a strategy. The Kumi-cho said that everyone has to abide by it. C'mon, come see so that you'll be prepared." Keito followed him to the kitchen where Inoo explained that he had split them up into four groups of two or three, and had them all cover a main area. Shoon, Takaki, Yabu, and the Kumi-cho were at the entrance, the first that the intruders would encounter. Then Daiki and Yamada were at the bottom of the stairs, covering that and the kitchen. Hikaru and Keito himself were at the top of the stairs, taking up the landing, and Inoo, Yuto, and Ryutaro were to be actually in or guarding the room containing the hostages. 

 

    They were to stay at their posts until there were either no more enemies, or they collapsed. It was simple, but it made sense. Keito thanked Inoo, and made his way up the stairs, flopping down at the top, waiting. Hikaru joined him and they waited, nerves on end. The waiting might be worse than the actual fighting, Keito thought. The sitting around, knowing it was going to happen and being able to do nothing was sickening. It stretched on, seemingly endless, and Keito lost track of time, until suddenly, a yell shattered the wait and the struggle finally began.

  
    Both he and Hikaru were on their feet in moments, unable to see the front door from their placement, unable to tell what was going on. Yamada and Daiki at the bottom of the stairs were quickly dragged into the fight, Daiki obviously trying to fight all of the enemies at once, continuously pushing Yamada behind him, not letting his boyfriend participate. Yamada managed to escape from his shield however, and he quickly got into a sword fight with Takeru, the taller one using a shorter blade, only about a foot long.

 

    Daiki meanwhile was fighting Tomo and Katsumi, and was desperately trying to keep Kamiki away from Yamada. Keito hated having to stand there and watch as Daiki failed at his goal. Kamiki lashed out as Yamada swung his katana at Takeru, His fist connecting with Yamada's face, sending him crashing into the stairs. Kamiki smiled a small, evil smile.

  
    "Ryosuke; it's been a while. Have you missed me? I've missed you." Yamada got up, swinging the katana at his tormentor, but even Keito could tell that Kamiki's words had affected him greatly. Yamada tried to ignore him, Kamiki wasn't even attempting to get by, he was just standing there, out of reach, whispering things Keito couldn't hear. But slowly, he broke Yamada down, killing his concentration and confidence until Takeru managed to slice a cut up the length of Yamada's arm, sending his katana crashing to the floor.

  
    " _ NO! RYOSUKE! _ " Daiki yelled, still throwing punches, his opponents keeping him from going to his lover's side. Yamada fell to his knees, his arm limp at his side, unusable. Kamiki smiled, and he stepped forward, sending a swift kick to Yamada's ribs, knocking him properly to the ground, before crouching down himself, pinning Yamada to the floor; a crazed smirk on his face. In a desperate attempt, Daiki slammed into Katsumi, sending him sprawling into Kamiki, knocking him off of Yamada's weak form. However, in that process Katsumi's full weight managed to land on Yamada's head. 

 

    When the Wakaba boy got up, he slugged Keito's brown haired housemate a few times, and Yamada didn't move, his body limp, blood coming from a split lip and a cut by his eye that made it look almost as though the poor boy was crying fat, scarring tears of blood. When Kamiki made to get up Daiki turned himself away from Tomo and jumped on the other boy. Tomo, Katsumi, and Takeru all raced up the stairs, yelling for Koji and Mirai. Keito braced himself. It was his turn now.

  
    With a small yell he launched a kick at Katsumi, sending the other boy halfway down the stairs. Takeru rushed at him, his overgrown knife ready, and Keito dodged, aiming a jab to his enemy's back. Takeru responded with a flurry of blows and jabs that Keito had to fight hard to block. He missed occasionally, and he felt the hands, and occasionally the blade, make their mark. Hikaru meanwhile had his hands full, Tomo and Miura Shunsuke, who had managed to slip past the four in the front room, keeping him busy. Katsumi made his way back up the stairs, and launched himself at Keito, literally jumping, and knocking him down. 

 

    Stunned, Keito lay there for a second and Katsumi took the chance to land some punches on Keito's face before Keito managed to shove him offーallowing Takeru a clear shot at his chest. Takeru sliced, the blade whipping through Keito's flesh as though it were water. Keito couldn't help but scream. Katsumi wrestled with his arms, holding him down, and Takeru made two more crisscrossing slices down Keito's chest, before Keito managed to thrust his leg out, wrapping it around Takeru's own, sending him crashing to the floor; knocking into Hikaru as he went down. In reflex, Hikaru turned and hit, slugging Takeru in the face before he slid to the ground. It was then that Hikaru noticed Keito.

  
    "Keito?! KEITO! NO _! KEITO! _ " Was the last thing he heard, before he fell out of consciousness, and into the quiet black void that was waiting. He woke up to huge eyes looking down at him, tears splashing onto his face. One landed on his lips, and he licked it, tasting the salt. The sadness. Why was Shoon so sad?

  
    "Sh-Shoon..."Shoon quickly wiped away the tears.

  
    "Keito. Hi. They're gone. You're on the coffee table...there's not enough room on the kitchen table. They're working on Yamada right now. He almost died...I'm keeping an eye on you right now...to make sure that _you_ don't die." He turned away from Keito, calling out a hurried "He's awake!" Before giving Keito a weak smile.

  
    "Who else...?" Keito asked, through gritted teeth and fading vision. Even breathing hurt.  
    "Yabu, Yuto, Daiki, Takaki, and Yamada are all half conscious. Hikaru needs stitches, but he'll be okay." Shoon looked at him for a bit, before whispering

 

 _"It's all my fault. I told you I'd protect you...I failed...I'm sorry Keito! I'm sorry!"_ No. Shoon shouldn't cry. Keito didn't want him to cry.

  
    "Come here, let me tell you something." Keito said softly. Shoon leaned forward, his face close to Keito's own, and with the last of his strength, Keito raised himself up, and kissed him.   
_ I love you. _ he tried to say it, but his body wasn't responding, and slowly he felt himself draining away, like sand slipping through fingertips, until he disappeared into the nothingness once more.

  
    Slowly he opened his eyes, and saw...nothing. It was pitch black. He hurt like hell. His whole body binding him in painfully, cursing him...yet, he was  _ alive _ . That realization was an astounding one. He lay there in the darkness for an immeasurable amount of time, already beginning to feel exhausted when all of a sudden a light cut through his comfortable blackness. The light was accompanied by a yell, and then the whole room was flooded with light, blinding him. He shut his eyes, willing the darkness to return. When he finally decided to open them again there were ten people crowded around him, all watching him intently. He blinked; and they all broke out in relieved grins.

  
    "Keito."He looked over at the person who had said his name. Hikaru. "Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?" He asked, his tone light and joking, a blush coloring his cheeks. Huh? What did that have to do with anything? Keito was confused.

  
    "What?"

  
    "Keito, I love you!" Yuto squealed, bouncing up and down, wincing with each little hop.

  
    "How...how long?" Shoon sat down next to him on the bed, a huge grin on his face.

  
    "You've been in a coma for almost a month. We thought...we thought you were gonna die."

  
    "You're a... nine-point-something ridiculously close to death." Inoo informed him. Oh great. They chattered on, reminding him of how much they meant to him. He didn't know what he'd do without any one of them. At one point, Yuto turned to him, and smiled, with the air of someone that suddenly remembered something.

  
    "Oh yeah! Happy anniversary!" Everyone stared at him. Seven confused ‘What?!’s echoed around the room. "Today is the one year anniversary of Keito's arrival." Yuto explained. Wow. One year. He smiled. One amazing year. The first year of the rest of his life; here, with the people he had come to love. And he thought, as Shoon gently cupped the back of his neck, kissing him tenderly, that here was the only place in the world that he would want to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here at my Livejournal: https://ryosukekoibito.livejournal.com/7334.html


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